PC software in Indonesian to be launched

JAKARTA (JP): The government will launch in August Indonesian language-based computer software in an effort to widen computer usage to cover people in rural areas, according to the office of state minister of research and technology.

Utari Budihardjo, an assistant deputy at the office's information network development project, said that the project had established a team to translate English language software terminologies into Indonesian.

Thus far, she said, the team had compiled 629 Indonesian language computer terminologies.

For some computer-literate people, however, the Indonesian terms sound strange. For instance, "password" will be replaced with sandi lewat, "mouse" with tetikus, "download" with unduh and so on.

Utari, however, contended that the Indonesian-language computer software would be introduced to computer users in rural areas, who had low proficiency in English.

"We realize that there is a segment in society that can afford computers but is unable to operate the software due to the language barrier," Utari said in the media conference.

On top of that, Utari said, the Indonesian language terminologies should also conform with the Malay ones because the project was a result of a cooperation agreement between Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei.

"We cannot produce a whole different terminology to what Malaysia and Brunei have created. The agreement clearly stipulates that," Utari said.

"We realize some of the terminologies are odd, but our team's objective is to announce to the public there are official Indonesian IT terminologies, although at the end, the public will be the ones to decide whether to adopt the terms or not," Utari said.

Utari said the team would embark on a six-month public awareness program for Indonesian language-based computer applications starting August 10.

The program would include a road show, starting in East Java, and traveling to Bali, Central and West Java.

After reviewing the six-month roadshow, the team will proceed to other provinces across Indonesia, Utari said.

The road show team will be equipped with Internet access computers, along with computer programs containing the latest farming and agriculture materials, which the team considers to be the best approach in presenting IT to rural communities.

The project team comprises representatives from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), the Indonesian Linguistic Center, private information technology companies as well as universities. (06)