KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians in the private sector should use Bahasa Malaysia and not English to show pride of the national language, Deputy Education Minister Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi said yesterday.

He said they used English 99 per cent of the time and hardly communicated in Bahasa Malaysia.

"This also occurs in government-linked companies where we have this weird culture of people speaking to each other in English instead of the national language," he said at the launch of the Bahasa Melayu International linguistics seminar here.

Puad said the private sector, by not using Bahasa Malaysia, had tarnished the image of the national language.

He said Malaysians should emulate the French, Japanese and Koreans who were loyal to their language.

He said the younger generation was also guilty of conversing only in English or bahasa rojak (a mixture of English and Bahasa Malaysia) as could be seen in local programmes, text messages and the Internet.


"It would be difficult to strengthen the position of Bahasa Malaysia if this culture continued," he said, adding that the Information, Communications and Culture Ministry should promote the proper use of Bahasa Malaysia.

He said by condoning the improper use of Bahasa Malaysia "we are polluting our own culture and identity as a nation".

"I think the younger generation is confused about the status of the national language.

"They think it is all right to mix both languages as English is the second language."

Later, he told a press conference that leaders should use Bahasa Malaysia at all official meetings and events.

"Even when I receive official letters written in English, I return them and ask that they be written in Bahasa Malaysia."

Puad said all ministries, government agencies and GLCs should conduct their meetings in Bahasa Malaysia, adding that this would encourage the use of the language.

"The government has come out with a circular to all government agencies and GLCs to use Bahasa Malaysia in official events in conjunction with the National Language Month last month, but I believe this was not adhered to."

Asked if action would be taken against agencies that did not adhere to the circular, Puad said no action would be taken.

On another matter, he said the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) was looking for authors to write primary school textbooks for science, mathematics and Bahasa Malaysia.

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