Governor wants correct use of Bahasa Indonesia

Governor wants correct use of Bahasa Indonesia

JAKARTA (JP): Governor Surjadi Soedirdja urged Jakartans
yesterday to use correct Bahasa Indonesia in his address
commemorating the 66th Youth Pledge Day.

The governor's speech, which was read by Deputy Governor Tb.
M. Rais, said that he will keep on reminding the people of the
importance of using correct Indonesian language, especially since
more and more people from foreign countries have started to learn
Indonesian.

Indonesia celebrates the youth pledge every year to
commemorate the historical oath which was taken by
representatives of young Indonesian activists on Oct. 28, 1928.
The pledge was aimed at uniting all young people throughout the
country to fight Dutch colonialist forces in Indonesia.

The young activists pledged that they would have only one
nation, one country, and one language, Bahasa Indonesia.

Although the Indonesian archipelago has nearly 400 ethnic
languages and dialects, Bahasa Indonesia, the country's official
language, is spoken by 83 percent of the population.

This is not the first time the governor has called to use
correct Indonesian. In August he urged the public to avoid using
foreign words which already have Indonesian equivalents.

He said that the use of good and correct Indonesian will
strengthen national unity and reinforce our cultural personality.

Surjadi was apparently referring to a large number of
billboards and notice boards using foreign words across the city.

In an effort to spread the use of proper Indonesian language
to business entities employing billboards and banners, the
directorate of Socio-Political Affairs Office of the Jakarta
administration conducted a three-day course for the managements
of hotels, restaurants and department stores in August.

Meanwhile, J.S. Badudu, a professor of Indonesian literature
at Padjadjaran University in Bandung, West Java, said that
Indonesians must be aware that the language is a national asset.

He said that the awareness should not only arouse Indonesians'
sense of pride in possessing the national language but also
should challenge the Indonesian people to use it correctly and
properly.

Surjadi also said that the spirit of the youth pledge should
inspire all members of the Indonesian Civil Servant Corps
(KORPRI) to do their utmost with a high degree of integrity.

"As the people who carry out the nation's development tasks,
KORPRI members are obliged to help create the image of a clean
and dignified government," he said. (mas)