July 10, 2009 22:20 PM

Call To Spend Equivalent Amount To Raise Bahasa Malaysia Status

KUALA LUMPUR, July 10 (Bernama) -- The amount being spent to raise the status of Bahasa Malaysia should be equivalent to that of an allocation to strengthen the command of English, said national laureate Datuk A. Samad Said.

"If the government can spend almost RM5 billion for English, why not for Bahasa Malaysia.

"Let me know how much is being spent to enhance the status of Bahasa Melayu?" he asked reporters after the launching of a poetry anthology titled "Mengabdi, Melestari" in conjunction with the 30th anniversary of Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) here Friday.

On the abolition of the Policy of Teaching Mathematics and Science in English (PPSMI), Samad, who is Movement Against PPSMI adviser, said he welcomed the decision although it would only materialised in 2012.

"It is not PPSMI abolition but rather postponement of the abolition to 2012. Anyway, it is good enough to relent to the wishes of the people," he added.

The 140-page anthology has a collection of 30 poems on PNB written by 30 poets including Samad, Abdul Halim R, A.Aziz Deraman, Lim Swee Tin, Hashim Yaacob, Raja Rajeswari Seetha Raman, Zurinah Hassan, Siti Zaleha Hashim, Siti Zainon Ismail and Rejab F.I.

It was launched by PNB chairman Tan Sri Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid.



-- BERNAMA

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