KUALA LUMPUR: Raising the dignity and position of the national language is among the national agenda that must be supported by all higher education institutions (IPTs), says Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.
The Higher Education Minister said it is in universities that the potential and strength of Bahasa Melayu can be developed.
“The use of the national language should cross disciplines. It is not just a medium of instruction for learning related to the Malay language or culture only. It’s not just about everyday speech. And it should not be limited to the official affairs of the government,” he said.
Speaking at the launch of the “Action Plan to Promote Bahasa Melayu as the Language of Knowledge in Public Institutions of Higher Learning (IPTA) 2023-2030” at the International Islamic University Malaysia yesterday, Mohamed Khaled said his ministry recommended that the teaching of compulsory subjects in IPTAs be conducted in Malay.
“It is also recommended that the passing of the Bahasa Melayu subject as the basic level of communication be made a graduation requirement for international students in undergraduate programmes here,” he said.
In order to ensure the practical implementation of the recommendations, he urged all IPTAs to seriously consider the approach that is most suited for them.
He also expressed hope that the action plan would be a point of reference for widening the offering of Bahasa Melayu courses to both academic and non-academic staff, as well as enhancing reading and scientific materials.
He added that initiatives to enhance Bahasa Melayu as the language of knowledge would be extended to private institutions of higher learning (IPTS).
Among the early actions would be to open the selection for the annual recipient of the Tokoh Akademik Bahasa Melayu Award to include academics from IPTS from 2024 onwards.“As part of its long-term plan, the ministry will also develop an action plan to promote Bahasa Melayu in IPTS,” said Mohamed Khaled.
The action plan is a continuation of the “Action Plan for Enhancing Bahasa Melayu as the Language of Knowledge in IPT 2011–2015” and the “Action Plan to Dignify Bahasa Melayu as the Language of Knowledge in Public Universities 2016–2020”.
The four objectives of the action plan are to inculcate Bahasa Melayu as the language of knowledge; to produce graduates who are skilled in Bahasa Melayu; to realise the language as a medium of national development; and to strengthen the role of the language as a source of reference on par with foreign languages.
Eleven strategies and 26 initiatives have been outlined for implementation in IPTAs.
