The Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) recently made headlines by updating the official spellings of several Malay words associated with Ramadan, sparking quite the conversation among Malaysians.
Through an engaging infographic, the DBP unveiled these changes, the most notable of which is the transition from “Ramadhan” to “Ramadan.”
Other words received their spelling makeovers too: “Murtabak” is now “Martabak,” “Bazaar” has been streamlined to “Bazar,” “Kuetiow” updated to “Kuetiau,” and “Briyani” to “Beriani.”
These updates have led to a mix of reactions. Some Malaysians appreciated the clarity provided by the DBP, thanking them for resolving longstanding confusions.
However, some commenter humorously expressed their dissent, “Sorry, I don’t agree with some of them and will continue to use the incorrect spellings,” showing the personal connection many feel towards language and its use in daily life.
