[Kabar-indonesia] Malaysia warns Bahasa could become dead language

[JoyoNews at aol.com]

Malaysia warns Bahasa could become dead language

KUALA LUMPUR, June 22 (AFP) -- Malaysia's official language Bahasa
Melayu could become a dead language like Latin unless it starts to be
used in business and science, a minister said according to a report
Thursday.

Minister for Culture, Arts and Heritage Rais Yatim said Bahasa needed
to become more useful and not just play the role of a "lingua franca"
or a language for communication between people.

"If it remains at the level of lingua franca, it will be unable to
leap forward," he said, lamenting the wide usage of English in
information and communication technology, commerce and the private
sector.

"We need to build up Bahasa Melayu in technical subjects. Otherwise
Bahasa Melayu may go the same way as Latin, beautiful in sound but no
longer in use," he said.

Most Malaysians speak Bahasa, which is very similar to Indonesia's
national language Bahasa Indonesia, but English is widely used in the
professional and commercial arenas.

Chinese and Indian languages are also commonly used among the
country's large minority communities.

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Joyo Indonesia News Service
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