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By Mihar Dias December 2024
The Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) director-general Dr. Hazami Jahari’s recent lament about the nation's embarrassment over its own national language is both poignant and telling. https://newswav.com/article/dbp-director-malaysia-is-world-s-weirdest-country-citizens-are-embarrassed-A2412_4Gk6nu?s=A_9r4qvNy&language=en
Hazami's frustration isn’t unfounded; he calls Malaysia “the weirdest country in the world” for its citizens' reluctance to embrace Bahasa Malaysia, contrasting sharply with countries like France or Indonesia, where language pride is practically a national pastime. https://newswav.com/article/dbp-director-malaysia-is-world-s-weirdest-country-citizens-are-embarrassed-A2412_4Gk6nu?s=A_9r4qvNy&language=en
But why is this the case?
To put it bluntly: it’s colonial baggage. Malaysians, it seems, still suffer from the remnants of a deeply ingrained Anglophile mentality. Our colonial history has left us with a subconscious bias that English is inherently superior—a language of prestige, power, and prosperity—while Bahasa Malaysia is relegated to a secondary status, fit only for casual conversations or, perhaps, government slogans. https://newswav.com/article/dbp-director-malaysia-is-world-s-weirdest-country-citizens-are-embarrassed-A2412_4Gk6nu?s=A_9r4qvNy&language=en
Take France, for example. Speak English to a French person and watch how they grimace, responding in French even if they understand you perfectly. It’s not arrogance; it’s pride.
Similarly, Indonesia’s diverse ethnic groups unite under Bahasa Indonesia, a language seen as a symbol of national identity and unity. Meanwhile, Malaysians, despite our diverse ethnic makeup, shy away from using Bahasa Malaysia, fearing being labelled unrefined or provincial. https://newswav.com/article/dbp-director-malaysia-is-world-s-weirdest-country-citizens-are-embarrassed-A2412_4Gk6nu?s=A_9r4qvNy&language=en
The Mental Colonization of Malaysians
Dr. Hazami isn’t wrong when he calls this a form of mental colonization. Many Malaysians act as though Bahasa Malaysia lacks the sophistication, economic value, or global relevance that English supposedly offers. Yet, we forget that the strength of a language comes from how we use it, dignify it, and integrate it into our lives.
Countries like China and Japan have proven that a nation can excel on the global stage while fiercely protecting their linguistic heritage. They don’t feel the need to apologize for their languages; they’ve made the world adapt to them. But in Malaysia, we adopt the opposite approach—embarrassed by our national language and desperate to assimilate into an imagined Western ideal.
The Economic Value Myth
Some argue that Bahasa Malaysia lacks economic value. Yet, this argument rings hollow when one looks at nations like Thailand or Vietnam, which thrive economically while maintaining pride in their languages. The truth is, Bahasa Malaysia isn’t the problem; our attitude toward it is.
The Way Forward
As Hazami pointed out, being a developed nation isn’t just about technological advancement—it’s about mentality and culture. If Malaysia truly wants to progress, we must stop viewing Bahasa Malaysia as a mere relic of tradition and start treating it as a cornerstone of national identity.
Let’s face it: the reluctance to speak Bahasa Malaysia isn’t just embarrassing—it’s a betrayal of our cultural heritage. The French won’t speak English even if it kills them. Indonesians would never dream of sidelining Bahasa Indonesia. And yet, here we are, Malaysians with our chins down, mumbling in our own language as though it’s a shameful secret.
It’s time to flip the script. A nation that cannot respect its own language is a nation still shackled to its colonial past. Let’s make Bahasa Malaysia not just a national language, but a language of pride. Otherwise, Dr. Hazami’s lament will remain our eternal shame.
Mihar Dias is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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