National leaders favouring the use of the English in government programmes to the extent of impeding efforts to elevate Bahasa Malaysia, are to blame for the status of the national language in the country today.

According to Gabungan Persatuan Penulis Nasional Malaysia (Gapena or Federation of Malaysian National Writers Associations), a coalition of 21 writers associations, there are leaders who dress in traditional Malay attire but they prefer to speak in English.

NONE "They (these leaders) think the foreign language is great. They know (the national language), but they are a little stupid," said Gapena chief Abdul Latif Abu Bakar, describing these people as "language fools".

"For example, the government has repeatedly (directed that) government meetings be held in Bahasa Malaysia, but we receive feedback that there are those who conduct their meetings in the English," Abdul Latiff said in an interview with Malaysiakini last week.

While questioning the patriotism of these leaders, Abdul Latif said their awkwardness could be seen in news reports on national television when the country's leaders spoke in English.

"Reporters ask questions in Bahasa Malaysia, but they still answer in English. Even then, their grammar (in the English language) is wrong," he chuckled.

Abdul Latif said Gapena was working on a special programme, titled ‘Language Fools', to be aired over RTM to mock these people. The programme is now in the script preparation stage.

Such phenomenon, he said, prompted Gapena to establish the National Language Monitoring and Action Council to monitor the usage of Bahasa Malaysia by the public sector.

The council was established under a resolution made at the Eighth Bahasa Malaysia and Correspondence Congress last October. Even though it has no enforcement power, the council is intended to remind various parties about all aspects of the national language.

"We cannot enforce the language by force, (we can only) remind them," Abdul Latiff said.

"Leaders who are language fools should change, they should repent. This is our country, our language. Use the Malay language as the language of unity," he said.

' Presint' in Putrajaya

Asked whether the position of the National Language Monitoring and Action Council overlapped with the language audit conducted by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP), Abdul Latif said that as an NGO, it would be easier for the council to speak out and give advice.

"If it's the DBP taking a position on government matters, it will have problems doing so. That is why the DBP does it through the language audit. But for us, we are free (to criticise).

"If DBP wants to criticise the prime minister publicly... it can't do that. We can do it, but respectfully," he said.

NONE Asked about the government's move to absorb English words directly into Bahasa Malaysia - for example the use of the term ‘precinct' (presint) in Putrajaya - Abdul Latif said this would be gradually changed to the national language.

"There are many changes that the government is doing, but it is not done in a rush.

"For example, the Palace of Justice (where the Federal Court is sited in Putrajaya) formerly used its English term. The word 'presint' too has its own rationale, but it (the change) will be done in stages.

"The important thing is that we want leaders who love and appreciate the national language," Abdul Latiff added.

VIDEO|4.28 mins

Abdul Latif Abdu Bakar was interviewed by Jimadie Shah Othman, Hafiz Yatim and Ahmad Fadli KC at the Gapena office in Kuala Lumpur last week.