Former minister Rafidah Aziz has criticised the government’s push of Bahasa Malaysia in international engagements over English within the civil service.
“I sympathise with International Trade and Industry Ministry (Miti) officers and others who have to deal with the foreign community, in whatever sphere.
“As for Miti, the officers were, before all this, operating in the environment and culture to strive for excellence.
“Already, now, the foreigners are complaining about this backsliding in policies and focus,” Rafidah (above) said.
Under Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s leadership, the government has pushed civil servants to use Bahasa Malaysia along with a translator with foreign diplomats, even if they can converse in English.
There have been suggestions to implement “corrective and punitive” measures on civil servants who failed to comply with the policy, prompting concerns from G25, an organisation comprising former top civil servants.
English communication pulls business
Rafidah said when she served as the international trade and industry minister, she had requested for all communication to be done in English for efficiency and efficacy in their delivery of services and it was approved by the cabinet at the time.
Rafidah was the international trade and industry minister from 1987 to 2008.
“Competence of the officers in communicating in English was a key driver and pull factor in attracting such high levels of quality investments, especially in the targeted and strategic areas and sectors.
“Malaysia was indeed the preferred investment and business destination. Communication was facilitated and effective,” she said.
The vision and reference point at the time, she said, was in the context of Malaysia being in the regional and global infrastructure.
“Not Malaysia in its own ‘syok sendiri’ (self-serving), tiny, self-wound cocoon.
“If this mindset of being inward-looking continues to persist with penalties imposed for not communicating with the rest of the world in English then we will be the bureaucratic pariahs in Asean, held back by many shortcomings,” she said.
Lost in translation
Rafidah said requiring what is said by Malaysian officials to be translated to English could result in distortion of substantive issues, particularly on technical matters.
“It is untenable and a disservice to our nation, especially to the young to not aggressively equip them with what it takes to master new knowledge, information communication technology, diplomacy and to be enabled to have the language and communication skills to effectively address the rest of the world.
“We should be progressing and moving forward, not regressing and sliding backwards and downwards,” she said. - Mkini
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