Jakartan dialect

Jakartan dialect

From Kompas

In relation to the observance of National Education Day, I
greatly appreciate the appeal of the Ministers of Education and
Culture, and Information that Bahasa Indonesia should be more
widely taught through the media, especially television.

Our national language is still dominated by the Jakartan
(Betawi) dialect, which has spread to North Sumatra and Riau.
These provinces are regarded as where Bahasa Indonesia
originated.

The strong influence of the Jakartan dialect is clearly felt
in drama serials on television, as exemplified by the use of lu
instead of anda and gue instead of saya. Also the suffix in is
becoming increasingly popular throughout the country.
Unfortunately, the government has not been serious in its efforts
to use good and correct Bahasa Indonesia. Even youngsters seem to
be ashamed of employing the correct Indonesian that is taught in
schools. This is particularly true in letter writing.

ALMATSIER

Jakarta