Making BM more relevant

I REFER to the letter proposing the introduction of a Bahasa Melayu (BM) proficiency test equivalent to the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), “Proposal for BM proficiency test” ( The Star, July 25).

While I agree that such a test is good for assessing the BM language proficiency of foreigners who wish to enter our universities or who wish to work in Malaysia, I do not agree that it should be applicable to Malaysians studying in the country.

And we can’t even call it an international test unless Indonesia and other South-East Asian countries that use Malay in their universities join us in formulating the test for entry into their universities.

Too many variations exist between BM in Malaysia and Bahasa Indonesia that this would be impossible. If the test is only for Malaysia, then it must be only applicable to foreigners, including Indonesians, who wish to work or study in Malaysia.

All Malaysians must have an education that reflects the Malaysian Education Policy. Even if vernacular languages are used in our system, the position of BM as the national language and English as the official second language should never be compromised. The learning outcomes from the Malay language curriculum in all our schools should be similar and all citizens should be proficient in BM. Additionally, the teaching and learning of BM should give Malaysian students the right social values and skills that are acceptable in our multi-racial and multireligious society.

The BM curriculum in our schools need to be revamped to include texts on the cultures and fine arts of all Malaysians apart from the core Malay customs and tradition. Literary materials that reflect the values of Malaysians must also be part of this curriculum as this could be the bridge for students of a particular ethnic group to understand the culture and values of their fellow Malaysians.

For BM to be the national language of the nation, it must reflect the Malaysian racial and cultural mix from all angles.

When BM becomes relevant to all segments of society, all will readily adopt it as theirs, and this will be reflected in its wider usage. Every student irrespective of ethnicity should feel it is his or her language and must be comfortable using it.

This was probably the aim when it was declared our national language as “Bahasa Malaysia”. However, the curriculum for the subject was kept intact, and then, without much fanfare, it was reverted to Bahasa Melayu, making it look like it belonged only to one segment, albeit the majority, of Malaysian society and thus alienated non-Malays.

In contrast, in Indonesia the name of the country is used under the declaration “satu bangsa, satu bahasa dan satu negara (one nation, one language and one nationality)”. Bahasa Indonesia is basically the Malay language and the Malays in Indonesia never objected to the change for the sake of national solidarity.

Malaysia in the initial stage had the same idea to use the Malay language to unify Malaysians, as evidenced by the Minggu Bahasa Kebangsaan (National Language Week) and Bulan Bahasa Kebangsaan (National Language Month) anchored by the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka under the able leadership of Tuan Syed Nasir.

Many non-Malays participated in these campaigns actively in the 1960s. Later, the role of the national language as a unifying factor was not emphasised for some narrow political reasons.

Our political leaders need to look at the overall interest of our beloved nation and arrive at a firm decision to make Bahasa Melayu or Bahasa Malaysia a uniting force to bond all Malaysians together through our school system. Any school, public or private, that is allowed to operate in this country must use this Bahasa curriculum and take the examination through the Examinations Syndicate of the Education Ministry, and no equivalent test should be allowed.

For foreign students and workers, there can be a Malay language Proficiency Test (MLPT) or Ujian Kefasihan Bahasa Melayu (UKBM) administered by the Examinations Syndicate in collaboration with Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka.

Foreign students may need to pass the IELTS (if they do not have the equivalent) and the MLPT before being allowed to enter our tertiary institutions. Nowadays, colleges and universities are conducting their own BM proficiency tests in a very subjective manner without much supervision. This could change if the examination is conducted by the Examinations Syndicate.

Hence, we need to accept that the position of our national language and the respect it gets from stakeholders are far from satisfactory.

Unless the Education Ministry revamps the curriculum and decides on clear-cut criteria of equivalence, BM will not get the respect it deserves from all Malaysians.