There’s this cute phenomenon in Malaysia where we consistently butcher a language in conversations. For a while (before the folks at Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka intervened) we had much TV programmes with dialogues that used both the English and the Malay language.
In reality, Malaysians do speak that way - continuously amalgamating two or more languages in our everyday conversation without batting an eyelid. Our exposure of the Malay language in school, coupled with the flooding of the English language from television screens and knowledge of our mother tongue or awareness of clichés from third languages such as ‘ta pau’ (pack), ‘pak to’ (dating) and ‘kan cheong’ , (nervous) mean we generally understand one another despite making grammar examiners cringe.
But then again, this brings an interesting point up. We know that to be Malaysian is to eat nasi lemak, watch Shah Rukh Khan, make ‘pau’ halal and decorate Christmas trees in shopping mall at that time of the year. We are, naturally, a very ‘muhibbah’ bunch. There’s just the slight question, brought up by the powers that be behind the National Service, on why we see people of certain race sticking by their own.
It’s true that as much as we have multiracial friends, we also see clusters of one race mingling mostly with their own. There are some people who admit that all their life throughout their twenties, they’ve never had a friend of a certain ethnicity. I know this because I was the first friend they had of that ethnicity.
Why does that happen?
Lets consider the friends of various races that we hang out with. What makes us bond?
The truth is, one of the main ingredient we were able to get together is the fact that we speak and understand each other in a common language. When people are able to express themselves comfortably, they are able to forge a meaningful relationship beyond ’Selamat Hari Raya’ greetings and ’What good weather’ niceties.
The government pointed this out when they decided that Malay would be the national language. The logic being that countries like China has hundreds of dialects and the Chinese government’s move to make Mandarin the official language solved the language barrier between counties.
Malaysia, however, isn’t China. We don’t speak in just different dialects. We speak in different languages altogether. While unifying people in one national language has its merits - wouldn’t it make us more Malaysian, if rather than spend three months in a ‘developing national unity stint’, we develop our people to learn all four major languages?
We're already watching television programmes from all cultures. We're alreadying eat food from all cultures. We’ve already instilled elements of different cultures in our lifestyles. Isn’t it time we give ourselves the opportunity to truly learn about and accept one another through merely understanding them?
We admit that having a common language tears down a barricade between two races. We’re only able to become good friends with someone of another race when we speak the same language. And time and again, we have seen that spark of a person who is able to juggle three or more languages. We know it’s doable. We know it’s beneficial.
Learning a new language is always helpful - be it for international relations or just stopping by the local eatery for food. I’ve personally encountered a market seller who was attempting to sell vegetables to the Chinese folks next to me for cheaper than what he was selling to me. Merely because my skin colour gave him the impression that I didn’t know he was charging me more for the same thing.
So rather than live in a fragmented society, lets gate crash the party.
Lets spend that billions that we’re spending on a certain camp on uniting our children. Start ‘em young. Now that we have Science and Mathematics taught in English, lets keep the momentum going. Introduce Chinese and Tamil language at primary school levels. We’re already butchering the languages, anyway. If we’re gonna butcher a language, I say, lets learn to butcher it the right way - through learning the dynamics of the language we’re using.
More homework, you say? Why - surely the benefits outweigh the cost?
Our students can’t cope? They already have a huge burden switching back and forth from English to Malay to Chinese or Tamil in learning Science and Mathematics?
Let’s not forget that we are living in the 13A1s generation. Our students are taking up any spare subject that they can find to secure a scholarship. Science students who are aiming to study medicine has included subjects like English literature, Commerce and Accounts in their SPM examinations in their bid to seal a victorious 13A1s. That’s not to say that widening your horizon is a bad thing. But hey - while you’re at it - here’s two subjects that can help in your aim of taking 13 subjects that will double as a weapon for national unity while ensuring international (and national) relevance in the working world. (And think of all those vegetables the market seller won’t be able to con you of)
Malaysia is a multiracial country. Learning a new language won’t discredit the validity of our national language. Malaysians being Malaysians, we will inherently switch to the language that fit’s the situation best. The way we think nothing of thronging to the cinemas, regardless of race, to watch ‘Jangan Pandang Belakang’, make Siti NurHaliza the best selling Malaysian artiste and for a time, every Chinese and Indian were saying ‘Siapa yang malu? Mereka dan keluarga mereka!’
We are Malaysians. Lets work towards becoming true Malaysians. We start by adding two languages in our education system. And we head straight down that road. Don’t belok-belok.
And we will be truly united.
