An activist from the Indian community has decried what he claimed was a derogatory definition provided by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) for the word "Tambi".
According to the Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu, the online version of Kamus Dewan managed by DBP, Tambi is defined as: "panggilan utk orang Keling yg lebih muda drpd kita".
The word "Tambi" is derived from Tamil which means "little brother" but is colloquially used by Malaysians to refer to any Indian male who is younger than them.
The Malay dictionary definition which used the word "orang Keling" instead of "orang India" has not sat well with community activist S Shankar Ganesh.
"This is unacceptable. It is an insult," said the 42-year-old former radio jockey after the definition was brought to his attention.
While "Keling" is sometimes used to refer to Indians, particularly among older people and in the northern region of Peninsular Malaysia, it is generally considered derogatory in this day and age.
Shankar said he will write to DBP to demand an apology.
"DBP should apologise to the public and remove the word 'Keling' from their portal," he told Malaysiakini.
Shankar added that the government should also ensure that all sectors are mindful not to use words that are derogatory to any communities in the country.
DBP is the overseer for the development and standards of the Malay language as the national language.
Malaysiakini has reached out to DBP executive director Abang Sallehuddin Abg Shokeran and is waiting for a response. - Mkini
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