Fatihah Jamhari

Bahasa Melayu is part of a Malaysian identity No one needs to reiterate the status of Malay Language in Malaysia; it stands as our national as well as official language pursuant to Articles 152 and 161 of the Federal Constitution and the National Language Act 1963/67 [Act 32]. Its adoption into Article 11A of the Constitution of the State of Sabah also highlights the formulation of a unified national identity throughout our protected national territory.   There is no need to reiterate simply because no one seems to care anyway. Not those in Dewan Bahasa and Pustaka (the authoritative body governing Malay lexicology), certainly not the rakyat of this country and our inability to use and promote the language as our unifying language, not even our MPs who still speak the language as if they have just landed in the shores of Malacca a moment ago.  Be it in informal settings or in formal meetings, it is becoming more and more cogent that Bahasa Melayu as our natio...