Putrajaya, don’t ‘play play’ with Sarawak on English

If telling off those who insist on putting the English language on the backburner once or twice isn’t serious enough, what about making a stern statement on the issue four times in the course of a month or so?

This is what Sarawak Premier Abang Johari Openg had done. And the message from the Sarawak leader and Sarawakians is clear: “Putrajaya, don’t play play with Sarawak on the status of English. You do what you wish in Malaya but we, in Sarawak, will go our own way as we think we are heading in the right direction with English.”

The fourth and final time Abang Johari (above) stamped his authority on the issue was on June 18 when he asserted that Sarawak has the freedom to use English as an official medium of communication despite recognising Bahasa Malaysia (BM) as its official language.

He said Sarawak had the right and option to use both English and BM as its official languages as stated in Article 161(3) of the Federal Constitution.

Delegates at the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) 15th Triennial General Meeting where Abang Johari made the statement welcomed the premier’s renewed call for mastery of the English language.

All of Sarawak, too, applauded their chief executive’s statement which was an important and necessary message to the central government.

This English debate is yet another episode where Sarawak leaders are made aware of the necessity to have different policies from Malaya in order to suit the peculiarities of the Borneo territory.

Seriously, it’s very uncomfortable to hear Chief Secretary to the Government Mohd Zuki Ali’s proposal for the public service department to consider punitive measures to enforce the use of BM in the civil service and government-linked companies.

I don’t know about you but what struck me the moment I read about it is to ask (in a state of disbelief) whether Zuki’s statement is real or has been misquoted. If not, what a regressive policy that is. It’s very sad when we have the top civil servant in the country involved in such a backward flip.

I’m glad Sarawak minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah did not mince his words when he called the proposal “silly and stupid”.

“English is our second official language and it’s widely used by civil servants and in the state assembly,” he told Free Malaysia Today.

The Sarawak tourism, creative industry and performing arts minister said that civil servants should be encouraged to use “good English” instead of being penalised for it.

“Being proficient in English does not make one less Malaysian or less Malay,” he said.

And what did we hear last Friday? Another ludicrous statement by the chairperson of the Board of Governors of the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP), Awang Sariyan, saying that those who disrespect the national language can be fined up to RM50,000 or sentenced to imprisonment through amendments to the DBP Act 1959.

Hello, what else will they think of next?

Sarawakians’ right

I must first ask those in DBP which connotation in English do they mean by “disrespect” or “disrespectful”? The word “disrespect” is open to a wide range of interpretations, and it becomes highly subjective whether a particular action or utterance is disrespectful.

As a Sarawakian, I wish to add: Malaya can do whatever they want to give prominence to BM and lower the importance of English, but we, Sarawakians, have the right to continue with our emphasis on the language as we think fit.

Encouraging Sarawakians to master English does not mean that we are disrespecting BM. Some people in DBP can say and formulate stupid and silly policies as they wish but do not bother us in Sarawak with them.

I also have this message to our federal leaders, especially Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and his acolytes (which are only a handful, as we are aware.)

Hear it from a Sarawakian - after the brouhaha over English and their condescending manner in pushing the Malay language down our throats, let me say this: Perhaps, non-English speaking lawmakers should not be appointed ministers. They are a distinct disgrace to our nation and Malaysians are ashamed of them, especially when they represent us abroad.

Malaysians could only gripe in embarrassment every time a non-English speaking Malaysian minister attempted to use the language in an international setting. What the heck! Is this the best we have to parade as our representatives abroad?

Gladly, all our seven prime ministers speak good English. The current PM has a problem. Probably, because of his own inadequacies with the language, he is now pushing BM around as if it is the only language for all of mankind.

Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob

Seriously, Ismail Sabri also wanted our representatives abroad to speak BM at international forums, stating that would help to promote the language to the world.

I say, good luck, Mr Prime Minister. I think that brushing up on your English would be the next best thing you have carried during your temporary sojourn as the prime minister.

In Sarawak, all our ministers, deputy ministers and state assembly members and MPs too are all English speakers or at least, they are able to handle the language.

None of our Sarawak ministers or legislators has ever been known to embarrass us Sarawakians when they represent us abroad at international forums. Unlike some of our Malayan federal ministers.

On the English language, no shame to learn from Sarawak, really! - Mkini

---

FRANCIS PAUL SIAH is a veteran Sarawak editor and heads the Movement for Change, Sarawak (MoCS). He can be reached at sirsiah@gmail.com.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.