Saving the 'Bahasa Indonesia'

Saving the 'Bahasa Indonesia'

Having followed the discussion about saving the national
heritage and protecting Bahasa Indonesia from adverse influences
caused by the growing infiltration of foreign languages, which
subsequently resulted in the government order to change all
English signs into Bahasa Indonesia, I cannot help think that
this might have backfired.

I personally think that a government should encourage its
people to study foreign languages in order to help create more
job opportunities, particularly in a country that tries to
attract tourists who, in all probability, don't study Indonesian
before coming to Indonesia.

I think the language is now thoroughly perverted with new
Indonesian words like bakeri (bakery), steik (steak), basemen
(basement), klub (club) and many more.

The only people apparently benefiting from this whole business
are the billboard and sign makers. The entrepreneurs who were
forced to change the signs have wasted billions of rupiah and the
language was lost in any case.

ROLAND WOEHRLE

Jakarta