KOTA KINABALU: The usage of the Malay language or Bahasa Melayu is still low in the industrial and professional sectors, said Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) Sabah branch director Hajah Asmiah Haji Ajamain.
“We have achieved independence for almost 58 years. In spite of the many successes that we can proud of, our national language is still not as widely used as the official language … its usage is low in the industrial and professional sectors,” she said in her welcoming speech at the closing ceremony of the state-level Student Forum and Poetry Declamation Competition 2015 here yesterday.
The event was graced by Minister of Special Tasks Datuk Teo Chee Kang, who represented Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Haji Aman.
Asmiah said the situation should be rectified and DBP had taken steps to address the issue.
She said the student forum was a tool to enhance Bahasa Melayu baku among students, to ensure that our national language continued to excel among the younger generation.
“We need to ensure our national language will not drop in status and become a language with localized nature or used by a number of people.”
On the other hand, Asmiah said every party involved had played their respective roles in organizing the Student Forum Competition for the past 23 years.
She said DBP could not act alone in its effort to strengthen the usage of the Malay language.
“DBP is fortunate as the Sabah State Government and other agencies have also come onboard to shoulder our responsibility towards our country.”