KUALA LUMPUR― Malaysia and Indonesia have reached an agreement to work together to uplift the status of Bahasa Melayu and make it as an international language.
Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) Board of Governors chairman Prof Datuk Seri Dr Awang Sariyan said the proposal of the Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob (who is on a short visit to Indonesia) is a continuation of efforts that have been started for decades at the regional level.
“The effort to unite the Asean regional countries through language means a lot,” he said in a statement, here today.
There is a chance to raise Bahasa Melayu to an international level because about 300 million people speak it. It is widely used in Indonesia, Brunei, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar and Timor Leste, Dr Awang Sariyan added.
Ismail Sabri was reported to have said he wanted to uplift the status of Bahasa Melayu to become an Asean and international language.
Ismail has also urges all local universities and colleges to teach bahasa Melayu to international students.
The prime minister also suggested the use of Bahasa Melayu as a language of communication at every international conference.
