RI and Malaysia to expand research on language

RI and Malaysia to expand research on language

KUALA LUMPUR (JP): The Malaysian Language and Literature Board
is planning to expand cooperation with universities and language
institutions throughout Indonesia.

Board director A. Aziz Dermawan said yesterday that his
institution, which is better known by its Malay language name,
Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, recently signed a memorandum of
understanding with the University of South Sumatra.

The two institutions are cooperating on research into Bahasa
Melayu, the basis of Malay dialects spoken in Malaysia,
Indonesia, Brunei Darussalam and Singapore, as well as in parts
of Vietnam and Cambodia.

There are also plans to set up a Malaysian Study Center at the
university, which is located in Medan, North Sumatra.

"We are looking into the possibility of similar programs with
the University of Indonesia and with Gadjah Mada University in
Yogyakarta," Aziz told The Jakarta Post at his office yesterday
afternoon.

The board has already set up cooperation with the Bandung
Institute of Technology, the Indonesian Institute of Sciences,
the Indonesian Publishers Association, and a number of individual
publishers like Pustaka Mizan in Bandung, and Gramedia and Gema
Insani in Jakarta.

Malaysia's language board, which publishes numerous books,
also works closely with the Center for the Development of the
Indonesian Language.

Purpose

The cooperation programs are designed to establish standards
of spelling, terminology and usage to support the proper use of
the Malay language as well as promote the publication of Malay
language literature.

The board's work with the Gramedia publishing company focuses
on the adaptation of Malaysian publications into the Indonesian
language. It is also concerned with the translation of books from
English into Indonesia.

Board member H. Ahmad Kamal Abdullah said promoting the Malay
language in Southeast Asia is meant to return the language to its
importance as a regional means of communication.

"Once, before the colonial powers moved into the region, Malay
was spoken as the language of trade all over Southeast Asia and
maybe into other parts of Asia as well," he said.

Aziz said that because so many people speak Malay dialects in
the region, an effort must be made to standardize usage and
spelling.

"More than 200,000 million people speak Malay, which now ranks
as one of the world's top 10 languages," Aziz said. (mag)