Muhyiddin: DBP to audit Bahasa use to arrest decline among civil servants
KUALA LUMPUR, July 13 — Dewan Bahasa and Pustaka (DBP) will launch a language audit programme next year to improve Bahasa Malaysia usage among civil servants, said Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
The audit programme is a new initiative under DBP’s strategic action plan for 2011-2015 to boost the use of Bahasa Malaysia among the people, which is seen to be challenged by the popular use of English and other foreign languages.
Under the audit programme, DBP will work with all government agencies and ministries to ensure that the national language is effectively used by Malaysians in their daily communication at all levels, the deputy prime minister said.
“The audit programme is aimed at increasing language efficiency among government employees,” Muhyiddin (picture), who is also education minister, said at the launch here today.
He said the programme will start with the Public Service Department and several ministries, namely housing and local government, higher education, finance, and domestic trade, co-operatives and consumerism.
“DBP will assist the Ministry of Housing to audit all roadside billboards to standardise spellings while ensuring proper use of the Malay language at all institutions of higher education,” he said.
“I am sure that if these efforts can be done consistently and thoroughly involving all ministries, government agencies, and private sectors, the Malay language will not be marginalised,” he added.
Muhyiddin suggested that DBP make use of technology such as smartphones and tablet computers, which are widely used by today’s students and young professionals, to promote Malay language reference materials.
