Language teaching hoped to help defuse separatism

A. Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Minister of National Education Abdul Malik Fadjar said on Tuesday that teaching the country's national language, Bahasa Indonesia, could reduce separatist sentiments in the country.

Speaking as a keynote speaker at the 8th Indonesian Language Congress, Malik Fadjar said, "Since the cause of rebellion is the lack of a sense of nationalism, the teaching of Bahasa Indonesia may boost the sense of nationalism and thus overcome rebellion."

The three-day congress is hosting 843 people who have come from throughout the archipelago, as well as from foreign countries including Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, China, France, Japan, the Netherlands, Singapore and Suriname.

As many as 61 local, and 18 foreign, experts on Indonesian literature and linguistics are scheduled to present their papers.

Indonesia is currently facing separatist groups such as the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) and the Free Papua Movement (OPM).

Besides boosting the sense of nationalism, the teaching of Bahasa Indonesia is needed to resist the influx of technology and foreign cultures, Malik Fadjar said.

"The problem is more complicated, as there is tendency to uphold a foreign language, especially English, while Bahasa Indonesia becomes the second language," he said.

He said the problem had emerged because the teaching of the national language was boring and too theoretical.

"I hope the congress can find a way to make the Bahasa Indonesia teaching methodology interesting, useful and enlightening," he said.

Many experts had earlier criticized the government through its language curriculum, called the Language Center, for focusing too much on how to use Bahasa Indonesia yang Baik dan Benar (Good and Correct Indonesian Language Usage).

They said by concentrating on how to use good and correct Bahasa Indonesia without considering evolving society and culture, the "Good and Correct Indonesian Language" became nobody's language and thus, unpopular.

Besides their ethnic vernacular and tribal languages, most Indonesians also speak popular dialects, such as the Jakarta dialect, and slang-speak, such as Bahasa Gaul and Bahasa Prokem.

Meanwhile, Language Center head Dendy Sugono said they would continue to campaign the use of good and correct Indonesian.

Dendy, who is also the congress' organizing committee chairman, said improving individuals' ability in speaking the national language was also expected of all state officials, from the regency to the national levels.

"As part of our efforts to provide good role models, we award public figures who speak good Bahasa Indonesia," he said.

Gozney, Susilo get Bahasa awards

Six public figures, including British Ambassador Richard Gozney and Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, were chosen on Tuesday as the best speakers of Bahasa Indonesia.

Other noted figures who received the awards given in conjunction with the 8th Indonesian Language Congress were Minister of Justice and Human Rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra, Muslim scholar Nurcholish Madjid, political observer Eep Syaifullah Fatah and banking expert Pradjoto.

Women writers NH Dini, Dorothea Rosa Herliany and Oka Rusmini received literary awards on Tuesday, the opening of the four-day congress held at the Hotel Indonesia, Central Jakarta.

The congress is held every four years.

Despite questioning his own command of Bahasa Indonesia, Gozney graciously accepted the award.

Of the foreign envoys in Jakarta, Gozney has proven his proficiency in the Indonesian language, including during public events, such as televised talk shows. --JP