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