No urgent need for major changes to DBP Act

There’s no urgent need for major amendments to the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) Act, DBP director-general Hazami Jahari said, as the use of the national language in official matters has already been strengthened through existing legislation.

This included government circulars that clearly outline the mandatory use of good and proper language at all levels of public service.

Hazami said that language enforcement has actually long been enshrined in Article 152 of the Federal Constitution, which asserts Bahasa Malaysia as the country’s official language.

He said this is also supported by various other provisions, including the Education Act, local by-laws, and the requirement for Malay language use in product labelling and advertising in public spaces.

“After 69 years of DBP’s establishment, we actually don’t face major problems in terms of enforcing the use of the national language because the existing laws are sufficient.

“What’s needed now is implementation and commitment from all parties, including agency heads, local councils, and society itself.

“The amendment to the Act under consideration is not to ‘arrest language offenders’, but rather to empower DBP’s role as the primary body in the development and recognition of the national language and literature,” he told reporters after officiating the East Region Writers’ Camp in Bachok today.

Going global

According to him, one of the key proposed amendments is to give DBP the authority to expand the use and development of the national language to an international level.

There is also a proposal to make DBP the sole body to certify language courses and publications related to the country’s language and literature.

Additionally, he said, DBP also wants to be empowered to mandate that language-related goods and publications receive DBP’s endorsement for official recognition.

Hazami also stressed that laws alone are not enough in efforts to boost the national language, and that there must be a love and sense of responsibility cultivated among the people towards their national language.

“In countries like Japan and Thailand, there are no special laws to ‘arrest language offenders,’ but their people have high awareness and pride in using their own language. This is what we need to instil in Malaysian society,” he said.

- Bernama

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