While Najib is doing his rounds brainwashing the people into believing that BN is the saviour of the nation, his deputy seems to be undermining his policies.
Muhyiddin certainly was playing no April Fool’s joke and now he is doing it once again. This time he has declared that Bahasa Malaysia would henceforth be used as the official medium at all government functions.
He said the Cabinet has given its nod that all civil servants must use Bahasa Malaysia in all official business. Muhyiddin also wants local councils to give special attention when it comes to using the national language at public places.
Muhyiddin’s fixation with “all things Malay” seems ludicrous. Granted that he is passionate about his Malay roots, but to impose a blanket ruling that only Malay language is permissible at government events is pushing it a bit too far.
Granted too, that there are among the Malays who do look down upon the language and refuse to associate themselves with it. But such a scenario does not mean that Bahasa Malaysia itself deserves to be labelled as an “inferior” language.
While Muhyiddin, who is also the Education Minister, spares no effort in searching for ways and means to make the national language the lingua franca of the country, he has chosen to conveniently ignore the role played by the English language.
To arrogantly proclaim that it will do the handful of “mat sallehs” present at a government function no harm if they sat through an all-Malay-medium event only reflects the bigotry so deeply rooted in the psyche of Muhyiddin, both as a person and as a leader.
Instead of forcing all and sundry to accept the Malay language in all its forms, it would do the DPM-cum-education minister good to figure out why people, particularly the Malays, are refusing to use the language. If the issue concerns one of inferiority, what has led to the Malay language to have earned the nickname “inferior”?
It was in April this year that Muhyiddin announced that a special committee would be created to determine how to restore the national language to its proper place.
Muhyiddin also said that legislation to promote the use of Bahasa Malaysia had been put in place but feared that people may accuse the government of being inconsiderate if action was taken against those who flouted such law.
Then, he said a new circular stressing the importance of using the national language at all levels would be issued to all government departments. Muhyiddin added that an awareness campaigns focusing on the need to use Bahasa Malaysia would continue.
BM vs English
Is Muhyiddin sincerely concerned about the declining use of the Malay language or has he a hidden agenda… which is to send out the message to non-Malays that where Malaysia goes, everything that concerns it begins and ends with the “M” word, that is, “Melayu”.
To assume that his status as second-in-command opens up a myriad of possibilities for him is a fallacy that will only make the DPM unpopular with the rakyat… if it has not already.
There is no need for Muhyiddin to drive a wedge between the Malay language and English. Both have their respective vital roles to play. English, being the international medium of communication, the emphasis naturally will be on how to master the language, with no motive whatsoever to forsake the part played by Bahasa Malaysia.
In the case of those who have dismissed the Malay language as an “inferior” language, efforts must be made to bring about a shift in their mindset in appreciating it. But in acute cases where salvation is no longer possible, Muhyiddin has to swallow the bitter truth that not everyone is willing to embrace Bahasa Malaysia wholeheartedly.
Efforts must be made to strengthen the grasp of both these languages. Unfortunately, Muhyiddin is doing the reverse, halting all efforts to help the people master English.
Clearly, Muhyiddin’s clouded “I’m Malay first” mindset is influencing his decisions to promote Bahasa Malaysia. If that is how it is going to be, what is stopping him then from scrapping news in English aired by the government’s apparatus, RTM, and its radio channels?
To compel everyone to accept the Malay language is only going to give rise to resentment among the people.
English and BM both as important
There is no reason to victimise the English language at the expense of the national language. Both have their importance but globally English is the preferred choice of communication.
Should Muhyiddin pressure schools and universities to adopt the “Malay only” approach in their teaching and learning process, the damage will be apparent to students who are in a situation where the mode of communication is strictly English.
What will the DPM then do, when standing at an international podium, our students fail to address issues in English because they are too ashamed to speak in their broken English?
As it stands, Muhyiddin said the government will in 2012 reverse the teaching of Mathematics and Science in English to Bahasa Malaysia in national schools and Chinese and Tamil in vernacular schools.
Eventhough parents are against this move, saying the teaching of Mathematics and Science in English has borne positive results, the education minister has ignored all such pleas.
To recklessly abuse his position as the number two leader of this country and enforce the Malay mindset among the rakyat is not only irresponsible but highly dangerous.
While Muhyiddin’s “boss” Najib is busy crying out loud that Malaysia is all about 1Malaysia and “people first”, obviously the former does not believe in that.
A pity that the beliefs of two “leaders” are colliding and that too at the expense of the rakyat’s well-being.
The 13th general election is on its way and while Najib is going on his propaganda rounds to brainwash the people into believing that Barisan Nasional is the saviour of the nation, his deputy Muhyiddin is working at doing the opposite.
In the midst of such cacophony of thoughts between the nation’s two leaders, it is up to the rakyat to decide who is their saviour.
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