Priceless proposal by govt

Priceless proposal by govt

Doubtless, Sari Setiogi's front-page article Learn to speak
Bahasa Indonesia or pack your bags! (The Jakarta Post, Aug. 15)
is fodder for further bewilderment as to the priorities of the
government at a time of national crisis. The article describes
the government's latest bright idea to subject all foreigners
working or studying in Indonesia to a mandatory proficiency test
in Bahasa Indonesia, the aims being to promote communication
between expatriates and Indonesians and to see Bahasa rank as a
major global language. Well, it certainly gave me a good laugh.

Does Dendy Sugono (Director of the Language Center of the
Ministry of National Education) really think foreigners favor
postings in Singapore and Malaysia over Indonesia merely because
they can't get to grips with the language here? (It wouldn't
possibly have anything to do with the perception that Indonesia
is not exactly the safest of havens right now, would it?).

However honorable a dream, does he really think Bahasa
Indonesia can make a stab at ranking as a major world language
like English, French, Mandarin or German or, more to the point,
that setting mandatory language tests and expecting prospective
workers to be fluent before they enter the country is the way to
achieve this? Does Dendy actually understand how languages are
best learned -- in the country the language is spoken?

To give him his due, he does acknowledge that the test might
have a negative impact on foreign investment as companies may be
reluctant to fork out extra to cover government charges for the
proficiency test (in addition to the fortune already spent on
tightened security).

Maybe they will choose to invest in Singapore and Malaysia
instead? (Wasn't that one of the reasons for setting the test in
the first place? It doesn't take long to see the loopholes in
this plan does, it?).

As many expatriates spent recent Independence weekend closeted
at home in the wake of the Marriott Hotel bombing and fresh
warnings of further terrorist attacks, the timing of Ms.
Setiogi's article is ironically priceless. It must surely prompt
foreigners and Indonesians alike to seriously question the logic
of this government when the biggest threat to communication and
international confidence in Indonesia is terrorism.

Haven't these leaders anything better to do with their time?
Get real, Dendy.

CATHY JONES
Jakarta