Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) director-general Dr Hazami Jahari recently shared his frustrations about the attitude towards Bahasa Melayu in Malaysia, saying that he’s shocked that Malaysians seem to be embarrassed to dignify the national language.
In an interview with Astro Awani, Hazami asserted that this sort of mentality is a form of mental colonisation, with Malaysians not believing in Bahasa Melayu, as if the language doesn’t have any economic value, standard or quality.
DBP director-general says Malaysia is the weirdest country in the world
The DBP director-general added that he is shocked at this mentality, saying that Malaysia is the weirdest country in the world, where citizens are embarrassed to speak their own national language.
Hazami said that this is in complete contrast to other nations where citizens are proud to use their respective national languages.
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He asserted,
“Malaysia is the weirdest country in the world, we have our own language, but we’re embarrassed to use it. Maybe you have been to countries such as France, China, Japan, Thailand and others.”
“In these developed nations, they’re proud to use their own language, but in Malaysia, we’re really embarrassed to use our language.”
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Being a developed nation is more than just advancements in science and technology
During the interview, the DBP director-general also stressed that a nation’s identity is rooted in language and arts, hence, being a developed nation is more than just the advancement of science and technology but also in terms of mentality and culture.
Therefore, Hazami said that our nation must strengthen and dignify the national language.
Watch the full interview here:
So, what do you guys think of the DBP director-general’s statement? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!
Also read: Journalist in China Who Speaks Fluent BM Gives an Inside Look at a Malay Language Course in Beijing
