MELAKA: The Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) will increase the Malay language program at several universities abroad in an effort to dignify the national language.
DBP Language and Literature Development Department Director Mohd Salahuddin Mohamed said among universities are countries like China, Thailand and Japan.
“So far in China there are as many as 15 universities that have established a faculty of Malay studies, eight in Thailand while in Japan there are universities that offer Malay subjects.
“This shows the Malay language growing wider... more proud when we meet representatives (from that country), they can speak very well using Malay,” he said.
He said this when met by reporters at the Inauguration Ceremony and Launch of the National Language Month at the Melaka state level which was officiated by the State Senior Exco for Housing, Local Government, Drainage, Climate Change and Disaster Management, Datuk Rais Yasin.
Commenting further Mohd Salahuddin said for example in Japan, DBP sends books as a reference for Malay subjects while the agency also holds a Malay speech competition between universities in China.
He said that as of September this year, DBP received about 120,000 applications for verification of Malay for the approval of a licence under the local authority (PBT) to post advertisements, signs or business premises boards in permitted public places.
“Throughout last year we received 122,000 applications ....if we look at the awareness, it is something very good in the effort to promote the national language.
“This validation is important to ensure that the signs are displayed according to the language usage criteria set in terms of names, spellings, terms and others,” he said.
