Bahasa Indonesia and Nationalism
Posted on September 1, 2007
Filed Under Culture, Indonesia
My friend Ahmad Qisai writes a good piece published in The Jakarta Post today about Bahasa Indonesia. He especially highlighted the current Education Ministry, Dendy Sugono’s call to speak strictly in Bahasa Indonesia in order to ensure the survival of the language.
Qie, as I used to call him, gives a good socio-historical evidence that a language will survive and flourish if it has flexibility to absorb other influences. In his own words, his says:
Thus, to be worried about the future status of Bahasa Indonesia due to the widespread use of foreign terminology, like English, in Indonesia should not be exaggerated. On the contrary, the flexibility shown by the language will only help it to survive the waves of globalization.
For me, the educational minister remark is not new. Many bureucrats, especially from the same office, has done so over times. Controversies are made. Educational policy changes occur every new minister occupy the portfolio. The result: nothing. They, the ministers, just enjoy talking rubbish which ignite pros & cons in the media that led to 15-minute fame of the ministers concerned.
The current educational minister fussy remark on Bahasa Indonesia & English should be read in that context.
From Suharto era up till now, the use of word ‘nationalism’ always being monopolized by the so-called PNS (pegawai negeri sipil - civil servants): a group of foxes & crocodiles who hugely steal the country’ money and resources in gigantic way and make the rich-natural-resources country as poor country as Liberia or Kenya. Yet, they are shamelessly screaming out loud and dictating the people about nationalism and what nationalism stands for. The leaders with conscience and honest intention to uplift Indonesia towards prosperity and justice for all will never talk such nitty-gritty & pompous stuff.
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aku gx ngerti lo mas…
yang bahasa indonesia ada gx to? aku ni katrok e mas..
Let’s just say those old farts in the government are just, well, old. They’re too tired to take the trouble to understand that the youth today don’t buy old war-era ideas anymore, which include using the Bahasa as a means to stop your country being sold to foreign invasion. It’s in the same sense as, in war you don’t buy stuff produced in the invading country, in the hope that they will lose economic power and eventually leave.
Apologies if that comes across as poorly thought-out. I like to simplify things, not dramatise them.
Nice blog. Keep those entries coming!