KUCHING, Oct 25: Any official letters or correspondence addressed to government departments written in a language other than the national language, Bahasa Malaysia, will be returned to the sender.
This directive was issued by Prime Minister Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim yesterday as he reminded all government departments not to entertain any letters not written in Malay.
“So, I would like to give a reminder (to all government departments), that if they receive a letter from local companies or public and private universities in a language other than the national language, just return it to the sender,” he was quoted as saying by various national daily news reports.
He highlighted this when speaking at the launching of the National Language Decade Carnival and National Reading Decade in Multimedia University, Cyberjaya.
Anwar emphasised that he was not taking a narrow view on the matter but one which emphasised the use of the national language as he observed that there is a tendency by certain parties to deny the fundamentals of the Federal Constitution which mandate communication with government departments in the national language.
“But there is an attitude taken which oversteps and deviates among some government departments, universities and private universities including the private sector which attempts to abandon the basis of the Constitution with regard to communicating with the government in the national language,” he said.
He underlined the significance of promoting and safeguarding culture, language, and literature as integral components of nation-building and urged everyone not to underestimate their importance.
Anwar added that a clearer directive would be issued by the Civil Service Department on the matter.
“And I hope this reminder is duly noted. The directive is clear, and the Director-General of Public Service (KPPA) Datuk Dr Zulkapli Mohamed is also here…that we shall not entertain any letters written in a language other than the national language,” he said. — DayakDaily
