MALAYSIA NL POLICY DIVIDING COMMUNITIES?

The government’s flip-flop policy on the Malay language and persistent efforts by Malay supremacists to tie it to one race and religion have divided Malaysians and sparked conflicts such as the tussle over the word Allah, a forum heard last night.

By tying together ethnicity, Islam and the Malay language, so-called “language champions” have in reality reduced the language’s reach and shrunk the minds of parts of the Malay community.Novelist Faisal Tehrani said the ban on the use of the word Allah by Christians, seen in the confiscation of Malay-language Bibles and restrictions imposed on Christian worship, has made the Malay language the exclusive language of one community.

However, this practice also contradicts the government’s own policy of making the Malay language the national language that is supposed to be adopted by everyone.

“When language is tied to one race and religion, it actually heightens a sense of sensitivity (among a community).

“So when a Chinese says 'Insyallah', the Malays are shocked. But in reality, it only means 'God willing'. Just like 'Salam' is just a greeting of peace. This is the problem when the authorities try to control language,” said Faisal, who is also a fellow at UKM’s Institute 
of the Malay World and Civilisation.

Source: The Malaysian Insider