Of Language & Unity
Of Language & Unity
“The tie of language is perhaps the strongest and the most durable that can unite mankind.”
- Alexis de Tocqueville
“Bilingualism for the individual is fine, but not for a country.” – S.I. Hayakawa
A national language is a language (or language variant, i.e. dialect) which has some connection – de facto or de jure – with a people and perhaps by extension the territory they occupy. The term is used variously. A national language may for instance represent the national identity of a nation or country. National language may alternatively be a designation given to one or more languages spoken as first languages in the territory of a country. (Wikipedia)
______________________________________________________
Some years ago, while I was sipping hot coffee at one of the Kopitiams in Melaka I heard girls’ chats and giggles from a table behind me. They talked in Bahasa Melayu. I being single at that time can’t help myself but to give a little peek at the girls.
I peeked and was surprised.
The girls who were speaking in very fluent Malay are not Malays at all. They are actually Chinese or specifically Baba Nyonya. I smiled, I feel proud. Proud to see people from other races able to speak the national language well.
The Baba Nyonya of Melaka was always one of the favorite examples of a successful racial integration and assimilation. Having lived in a Malay state since the days of the Melaka Sultanate has caused these people, who are originally from China, to partially assimilate the predominant Malays in order to integrate with society. Their language, dresses, foods and customs are quite similar to the Malays.
Nowadays it is extremely hard to meet a young fluent Bahasa Melayu speaking Baba Nyonya anymore. The ones I know seem to adopt English as their first language and have difficulties speaking in the national tongue unlike their predecessors.
The elderly, when asked about the Baba Nyonya, they love to reminisce the good old days when Malaysian regardless of race able to sit and talk together without any feeling of prejudice, when the bond of friendship between Malays an non-Malays is still visible and existent.
Those were the good old days.
An old man once said to me,
“Dulu boleh kata semua orang tak kira bangsa boleh cakap Melayu”
“Jadi rasa senang berkawan itu adalah”
“Sekarang nak ajak dok bincang semeja pun susah”
“Sebab apa?”
“Tak faham macam mana nak bincang…”
I agree with that old man. Amongst others, the use of the national language is an important unity factor. It promotes as sense of belonging and one-ness. It creates ambience of unity in a multi-faceted society. Our forefathers included Bahasa Melayu as the national language in the constitution not for nothing. It’s time that we appreciate their effort by thoroughly embracing and applying the concept of national language.
The much lauded Malaysian Malaysia or Bangsa Malaysia concept shall never be fulfilled if there is no common ground to unite all the races in this country. Some may say that this language issue is trivial. Maybe it’s true. However trivial it is, let’s work to bring Malaysians together on a common ground. Let’s start first with language so that we can talk, communicate and settle our differences at one table over a cup of coffee.
Indonesia berjaya menjadikan bahasa indonesia bahasa kebangsaan mereka sehinggakan tidak dapat dibezakan cina dan jawa melalui perbualan mereka. cina pun tidak dibenarkan menggunakan nama bangsa mereka. tetapi mereka bersatu atau tidak, tidak pasti pula saya. yang pasti jurang antara kaum masih terlalu besar.
Dear Far,
Indonesia emphasized the strict use of Bahasa Indonesia during the years of the Sukarno era. At that time Sukarno hopes to force the Peranakans to assimilate with the indigenous local so that integration of society can be made possible.
Though the Indonesian society seems to be integrated through language, the racial divide is still great caused solely by economic issues. This is due to the fact that Peranakans control vast majority of the country’s economic cake and things are made worse when the majority of indigenous local are unable to climb away from a seemingly perpetual state of poverty.
Unlike Malaysia, we have the NEP to help local indigenous with education and benefiting schemes that enables them to enjoy fruits of the country’s economy. This is the luxury that Indonesians don’t have. Thus causing envy and discontentment within its populace that eventually caused the pogrom of the 1990s.
As I said, language is one of the tools of unity. Other factors need to be taken into consideration as well.
Thanks a lot for the comment.
we already have a living proof that languange alone fail to unite people from differet races. what is the real issue that caused dissatisfaction among malaysians. that is the one that need to be figured out. jgn sakit perut tapi bagi ubat batuk. Mmg tak baik2 sakit perut tu. Wallahualam.
What cause the satisfaction among Malaysians? Well there’s a lot of reasons. It so easy to name 10 out of them, just like that. If we are too focus in too many whys and forget the hows, it would never been solved.
Aku bersetuju bahawa bahasa merupakan salah satu platform bagi penyatuan rakyat berbilang bangsa di negara ini. Tak salah jika kita memberi fokus kepada satu perkara ini, disamping menyuntik perkara-perkara penting yang lain dalam perlaksanaannya, sebab selalunya kalau seseorang itu demam, kemungkinan juga dia mengalami selsema dan batuk, dan Doktor pasti memberikan lebih dari satu jenis ubat. Paling kurang pun, ubat demam biasanya diberi bersama antibiotik.
We always have this mentality that everything come from outsiders considered very good, superb and cannot be challenged. But we seems to forget our national language which can unite us.
Adakala aku rasa sedih juga gara-gara bahasa juga menyebabkan kita berpecah belah, menghina orang lain dan sebagainya. Bukan lebih baikkah kita mempelajari bahasa lain untuk memperkayakan ilmu dan mendaulatkan bahasa kebangsaan kita. Kita memandang seolah-olah orang bercakap bahasa Inggeris itu tinggi tarafnya berbanding bahasa kebangsaan, jadi mana letaknya jati diri kita?
Maaf, aku amat sedih dengan keadaan negaraku ini, barangkali sesuatu perlu dilakukan, tapi apa caranya?
Dear Ahmad,
Thanks for your comment. Language does act as one of the medicine to heal racial ‘fever’ in this country. Good medicines are bitter in taste; this goes the same to language. Its implementation may cause bitterness to some, perhaps a lot, but that is something that we Malaysians need to swallow in order to be cured.
Dear Chipmunk82,
Insyaallah akan ada cara menyelesaikan kemelut ini. Mungkin yang berikut boleh dicuba untuk memartabatkan semula Bahasa kebangsaan:-
1. Sistem pendidikan perlu disesuaikan supaya Bahasa kebangsaan diutamakan tak kira sekolah kebangsaan ataupun vernacular.
2. Urusan rasmi perlu menggunakan 100% Bahasa kebangsaan
3. Pemimpin tak mengira kaum perlu fasih berbicara dalam Bahasa kebangsaan lantas menjadi contoh teladan yang baik.
Salam.
cousin2 aku yg berbangsa melayu yang berwarganegara brunei semua tak reti ckp melayu, tapi bangga belajar bachelor of oriental studies and can speak bhs org vietnam, thailand, indonesia, chinese, but not their very own native linggo. upfront to the common sense.
Dear Ida
A true case of Melayu mudah lupa…
or is it Melayu Brunei mudah lupa?
Or is it Orientals mudah lupa?
Teringat pula lawak ‘f**king asians’ coined by Darren. Hehe.
Salam saudara,
Apa pandangan saudara tentang cadangan Datuk Mukhriz mengenai sakolah satu sistem dan juga kritikan kritikan pemimpin cina yang menyusul terhadap beliau mengenai perkara tersebut?
Terima kasih.
Salam Darah Tuah,
Terima kasih atas pertanyaan anda. Insyaallah saya akan menulis dan mempamerkan satu post baru dalam masa terdekat ini berkenaan dengan cadangan yang dikemukakan oleh Mukhriz itu.