And there are some like me who absolutely despise young Malaysians who claim that they can't speak Malay. Granted, those of the older generation can be excused for not knowing the language ( though it is surely a weak excuse! ) since it wasn't taught as a compulsory subject way back when. But young guys like us... those of us who have been brought up with Bahasa Malaysia as our lingua franca - well, certainly not mine - but still, we all had it force-fed to us as the common language! We should all know it well, or at least be able to speak a proper sentence without fumbling through like an unlettered rustic. I don't expect sajak and syair ( Malay poetry ) but they should at least be able to converse for a moment or two without resorting to sign language!
I find it absolutely unforgivable when a young guy - unfortunately usually Chinese ( oh, the shame! ) - walks into the clinic and stammers through a few unintelligible Malay monosyllables before switching to the more user-friendly Mandarin/Cantonese. Is that the product of almost a decade of schooling?
Seriously, my grandparents came over on a rickety lil junk from China ( like most other Malaysians of Chinese descent ) - and they can even read the papers in Malay. What more can a guy who's been through ten years of school say for himself?
I think a light spanking's in order, don't you? I don't expect a masters degree in Malay Literature but as a Malaysian, you should at least be able to converse in the national language.
For those not used to such Malaysian-centric posts from me, and those who are curious exactly what I'm yammering about here :) here's the gist of what I had to say... after Malaysia attained independence, she actually maintained the education syllabus inherited from her colonial masters, the British. It actually took a few years ( God, how could I forget the dates?! I am sure someone more knowledgeable can update this ) before they switched the common language used in the classroom from English to Bahasa Malaysia.
In other news - about me, myself and I, I managed to get to the gym today. Unfortunately in my drowsy post-call ( after an on-call )lethargy, I almost worked myself into a comatose stupor. Felt myself almost blank out for a sec - and I could have sworn I felt Chris Evans kissing me. I knew then that I had to be losing my sanity ( and consciousness ) :)
9 comments:
Memang setuju dgn pendapat kau ni... I like speaking BM but my accent sometimes strays!
Guys who can speak more than one language well are such a turn on though!!
Thanks for dropping by, canardbidon! Damn, I knew learning an extra language would pay off!
Paul
That got me thinking a bit. I have to say my biggest pet peeve is people picking their noses out in the open. Man !! What's bugging me the most is that they're REALLY into it, you know ?!! Ewwwwww....
I guess ppl are most comfortable when speaking in their mother tongue although you did bring a valid point.
I have friends who couldn't speak Malay at all. Nak cakap satu ayat pun susah, yang menyedihkan tu, mereka tak cuba pun ! ;-p At least, make the effort, right ?!! If it got to the point where it's hard for you to say what it is you're trying to say then, you can speak the language you're comfortable with. But, it's amusing to see foreigners trying to speak Malay. In fact, I think it's cute.
BM started being used as the main language of instruction in schools in the 70s but it wasn't until 1983 that a person could complete his entire education from Std 1 to university level in Malay.
Just happened to be doing research on the topic for an assignment. Oh, I'm not 100% certain bout the info either, lol. No guessing how the assignment will turn out...
Anyway, you shouldn't be too worked up over this. This problem might not stem from the lack of respect towards our national language. Look at it this way, I know ppl who after 11 years of formal education, are unable to do fractions and algebra. Some ppl are just less inept at certain things or just didn't bother to learn.
If Malay is the language used for teaching in the classroom, and guys go through 11+ years of schooling and are still unable to string a sentence together in that language, it makes one wonder what (if anything!) they could have learned! Scary thought. :o\
Out of interest, what proportion of the population actually spoke Bahasa Malaysia as their mother tongue at the time of gaining independence?
BTW, cute mall guy in the pic. :o)
Says sependapat yang penguasaan Bahasa Malaysia itu sangat penting, tetapi, ianya tidak bermakna kita tidak boleh menggunakan bahasa lain untuk bertutur.
Sebagai seorang Malaysia berketurunan Thai-Cina, saya rasa pelik sekali bila penguasaan bahasa Mandarin saya amat lemah.
Ianya amat memalukan, lebih-lebih lagi bila saya menggunakan nama Cina saya...
Pada masa yang sama, saya tidak pernah bercakap Bahasa Malaysia dengan mana-mana orang Malaysia berketurunan Cina. Adakah itu juga pelik?
Mungkin, saya akan bercakap Bahasa Baba tetapi hanya dengan orang yang saya betul-betul yakin adalah berketurunan Peranakan Cina....
Well, ru, the cute guy in the pic is actually Chris Evans. Not sure what the proportion of people who spoke Malay was but loopy might know :)
kw, I wouldn't call my Mandarin or Cantonese fabulous but at least I try my best to speak... and try to string a sentence without sounding too much like a dim-wit. And mind you., I never had a day of schooling in Chinese.
Paul
well, our country declared independence in 1957 and the constitution was written in 1956 stating that bahasa Melayu is the national language.
at the time of independence, well, only the Malays spoke bahasa Melayu. the Chinese and Indians spoke their respective languages. I have no idea about the breakdown of the races at the time. However, some of them who have received English education under the British might speak English alongside their mother tongue. It should also be noted that prior to independence, there were vernacular schools catering to various races using their mother tongue as the language of instruction alongside English medium school set up in the cities by the British.
Gosh, I can't imagine I knew that... I'm such a nerd! Oh yea, did I mention pink is my favourite colour?
Paul, I'd never have guessed that was Chris Evans. Oddly enough, I think that's the sexiest pic of him that I've seen. Maybe it's because he looks more like an ordinary guy (and therefore 'accessible') rather than a too-good-to-be-true movie star. I dunno. :o\
Loopy - thanks for the info.
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