Language experts decry political doublespeak<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Linguists renewed their resistance on Tuesday
\nagainst interference by political vested interests in the
\nformulation of Indonesian, charging it obstructed the function of
\nthe language as a means of communication.<\/p>\n
Prominent writer Ajip Rosidi told the second day of the
\ncongress at Hotel Indonesia that Indonesian had experienced
\n\"chaos\" in recent years. The congress will close on Friday.<\/p>\n
The 60-year-old writer recounted how the national seminar on
\nlanguage politics in 1975 decided the establishment of
\nstandardized spelling.<\/p>\n
\"I objected to this standardized spelling from the beginning
\nbecause, in reality and in daily conversation, it would not work
\nthat way.\"<\/p>\n
He cited an example of Indonesians' variant pronunciations of
\nide, using either \"e\" as in \"suffer\" or \"e\" as in \"make\".<\/p>\n
The first pronunciation was decided by the government
\nfollowing the national seminar, which Ajip said was a political
\ngesture on the part of the nation's leaders in efforts to
\nstrengthen ties with Malaysia at the time.<\/p>\n
The 1975 seminar also concluded that foreign names were
\nprohibited from use by companies or institutions here. \"But up to
\nnow, many still use foreign terms and the government has let that
\nhappen for years.\"<\/p>\n
Inconsistency in language policies, often resulting from use
\nof the language to further political interests, must be
\neliminated, Ajip said.<\/p>\n
\"In this reform era, we have to learn to gradually reduce such
\n(political) influence.\"<\/p>\n
He also called on the state Language Center -- whose function
\nis to develop Indonesian through research -- to be \"less
\ntyrannical\" and let the Indonesian language grow and develop
\nnaturally.<\/p>\n
Historian Taufik Abdullah said the remnants of New Order
\nregime's political influence must be wiped out of Indonesian.<\/p>\n
Lingering evidence, he said, included excessive use of
\neuphemisms. He also cited kramanization in which the democratic
\nnature of Indonesian was erased for hierarchical placement of
\nvalue on the speaker.<\/p>\n
For instance, a common person is described as \"giving a
\nspeech\", a minister as \"giving an instruction\" while the
\npresident is described as \"giving guidance\".<\/p>\n
Sociologist Ignas Kleden urged reform in the teaching of the
\nlanguage.<\/p>\n
\"Students become good in grammar but not in practice. I think
\nthe textbooks provided are too difficult, they are more suitable
\nfor linguists and too technical, but inappropriate for students.\"<\/p>\n
Ignas also said the New Order regime under Soeharto was marked
\nby rampant misuse of language. Grammatical blunders committed by
\nSoeharto were parroted by officials because they were considered
\nsymbols of the ruling political system. (edt)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/language-experts-decry-political-doublespeak-1447893297",
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