PUTRAJAYA: Civil servants using foreign language in their official duties overseas will receive an increase in allowance effective 1st Jan.2023.
Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said, the government encourages the diplomats to master foreign languages in line with the needs while implementing diplomatic and trade negotiations with other countries.
“Like many other developed nations that empowered their mother tongue language, I urge the Malaysian Family to give commitment in the efforts to dignify Bahasa Melayu and prove that the language will not obstruct the national development,” Ismail said.
Ismail said that in his speech in conjunction with the Ninth Malaysian Head of Diplomatic Representative (HOMC9) Conference held via online at Auditorium Tunku Abdul Rahman, Wisma Putra on 6th Sept. 2022.
The Prime Minister emphasized that efforts to internationalise Bahasa Melayu is the government’s policy and is one of the focuses in the Foreign Policy Framework that is Language Diplomacy and Culture.
Ismail said, recently Kearney, a global consulting company had recognized Malaysia as the third most competitive country in the world in Global Business Services (GBS) Index after India and China.
“I would like to urge the Diplomatic Representative Heads to embrace a more creative approach in the efforts to attract more foreign investors to Malaysia. We should be keen in exploring and attracting investments from new countries especially when the world is now active searching for stable investment destinations in the post-pandemic era.
“At the same time, focus should be given to the opening of market opportunities for export products from Malaysia. Several sectors such as trade, education and agriculture should be evaluated wholly to ensure Malaysia is always on the right track, not left out from the global dynamic growth and the current challenges,” Ismail reiterated.
The Prime Minister also emphasized on the approach of ‘an international family of nations’ that should always be practiced and uphold by the world community as one of the mechanisms to address global issues such as inequality, political instability and global governance.
According to Ismail, uncertainties in the geopolitics and global economy currently demand for the Malaysian Family to be a widely concept used at international level because if all parties uphold the global family values and thinking about mutual interests, Insya-Allah an understanding and closeness could be braided, fostered and achieved.
“Even though our country is small but I am confident with our experiences and diplomats’ expertise, Malaysia is able to play its unique roles to remind the world to work as a family to face the current global challenges,” he said. – Malaysia World
