Attack on the use of English by A-G debated in social media

Looi Sue-Chern Looi Sue-Chern Updated 7 years ago · Published on 4 Jul 2018 9:00PM · 26 Comments

Attorney-General Tommy Thomas seen leaving the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex today, where he was heckled by Umno supporters who demanded that he address a press conference in Malay. Social media users have condemned the hecklers but some also think Thomas should be fluent in the national language. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Kamal Ariffin, July 4, 2018.

THE heckling Attorney-General Tommy Thomas received when he spoke in English at a press conference earlier today is now the subject of debate in social media.

Many condemned the Umno supporters who shouted at Thomas, demanding that he speak in Malay, while others lamented that the unruly crowd was missing the elephant in the room with their outburst.

Yaakob Osman took to Facebook to comment: “A robbery of billions is not an issue, as long as Bahasa Melayu (Malay) is used. This is really a failure to differentiate between the woods and the trees.”

Another user, Jahizal Johari, said it was embarrassing to make an issue on the language used by the A-G without understanding the facts of the case.

“Honestly, I feel a bit uncomfortable when the A-G failed to use Malay when court proceedings are to be conducted in Malay. But to go shouting over language without trying to understand the case at all, is even more embarrassing,” he said.

Thomas led the prosecution today when Najib Razak was charged with three counts of criminal breach of trust and misusing his position as prime minister.

The proceedings were held at the sessions and high courts, after which Thomas met local and foreign reporters at the lobby of the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex for a press conference.

But the event was disrupted when the crowd started shouting at him to speak in Malay. The press conference was then held at the 5th floor of the complex.

Social media users have been discussing the ruckus caused by Umno members, such as blogger Wan Muhammad Azri Wan Deris or Papagomo, who shouted “Cakap Bahasa Melayu” (speak Malay) at Thomas.

Kelvin Ong noted how the case was of international interest, making English the most suitable language for the press conference, which was also attended by the foreign media.

“Want to listen, be quiet. Don’t understand, ask others later. Don’t be rowdy and racist… clearly a bunch of racists,” Siew Fook Choy commented.

Another Facebook user Sahizan Suliman cheekily asked if the acronym “Umno” was in Malay. Umno is short for United Malays National Organisation.

“Why are they making noise, telling others to speak Malay? The rich Umno kids speak English at home. They use English like white people.

“We have two languages. There are many international reporters today. Why want to fuss about Bahasa Melayu? Not using the brain? Bangang (nincompoop),” one Abd Halim said on Facebook.

Twitter user KMJ (@KMJ_100) asked why the same people did not make an issue about Najib’s lawyer speaking in English.

“When Tommy Thomas speaks in English, you shout ‘Hidup Melayu’ (long live Malays) and ‘Use Malay’. But when Shafee uses English, you don’t want to make a fuss?” he tweeted.

Muhammad Shafee Abdullah is Najib’s lawyer. He is very fluent in English.

Umno lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah seen exiting the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex today. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Kamal Ariffin, July 4, 2018.

Ben Hafiez said detractors might use religion as an issue after this, calling it a “regular routine of shallow minds, especially with Umno”.

“The best part is PAS is clever enough to keep their mouths shut,” he said on Facebook.

Labna Al-Nahdi commented on the ruckus, saying “stupid is as stupid does.”

Twitter user Mariette Peters-Goh (@mariettegoh) said: “I couldn’t give a rat’s tail whether Tommy Thomas spoke in Swahili, Greek or Navi, as long as he gets the job done.”

Another tweeted that those who made noise should not get upset if they did not understand English well.

“Their mentality is so low that they get aggravated when Tommy Thomas speaks in English.

“It’s not his fault that you don’t understand English. If you’re a Malaysian, you’ve been given at least 12 yrs to study the language. Not only that, most of you fail to respect the court!” Zaynah (@ZainaahAlhabshi) said.

But some social media users supported the Umno supporters, like Fazar Lazuardi who said Thomas was stupid and egotistic to be using English when he knew that Malay was the official language.

On Twitter, a few believed that Thomas, a prominent lawyer and an expert in the constitution, did not speak Malay well.

Unknown (@Hakimsufian) said he does not like or support Najib, but he felt angry that Thomas “was not fluent in Malay” as the A-G.

f.amirahR (@tenmrh) said she was pro-Pakatan Harapan but felt Thomas must be fluent in Malay.

“He holds a high position in the country. Embarrassing if he doesn’t know the national language.

A (@_asyrafdanial) said even if Thomas spoke English very well, he should have spoken in Malay while ST Asyraf (@halfharith) sarcastically remarked that the A-G should use the national language, which was Mandarin.

It is understood that he was referring to the recent controversy involving Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng, who was criticised for posting a statement in Chinese on his Facebook page, even though it was a translation from the earlier statement issued in Malay. – July 4, 2018.

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Comments

  • Yes, continue dumbing down Malaysia by distracting and don't pay the required attention to:

    Fact: 20% of the people cause 80% of the trouble, These 20% are led by 20% within them (ie 4% of all) who are led by Cash Is King Pengkuda Islam (dan apaapa pun musim nya untuk di kuda eg Bahasa Melayu TETAPI bukan isinya eg intinya peribahasa)

    #spiritofponnamal

    Posted 7 years ago by Bala Pillai · Reply

  • Thomas is giving press conference, why cant he use English to brief those media.

    Posted 7 years ago by Henry Hong · Reply

  • Who gives a flying f**k whether Thomas speaks Greek or Italian as long as he gets enjoy done. Besides English is the lingua franca everywhere. It is the default means of coummication in the business world. Embrace multiculturalism. Speak multiple dialects. Its good for you. Then perhaps you will see the world in a much brighter light instead of looking at it with blinkers on.

    Posted 7 years ago by Justice First · Reply

  • These racist umno idiots are a disgrace to Malaysia. There is no problem if the AG uses engl ish. These fools are there to just cause problem as umno thugs always do. They should be removed & barred from the court area if they are to cause trouble again. The police under pakatan harapan must be firm to maintain law & order. There is no law to prevent the AG from having a press conference in english as the defence council did. Why no protest there?

    Posted 7 years ago by Gabriel Chelliah · Reply

  • The whole world knows the level of stupidity of racists and religious fanatics carefully bred at every level of society when it has no accomplishment to its credit.

    Posted 7 years ago by Bhaskaran Sangaran · Reply

  • Here we have the court case of the century in Malaysia and we have a racist mob behaving like kurang ajar over the language of our attorney-general at a news conference. What is wrong with these rowdy people? Have they no shame in appearing as uncivilised barbarians in the eyes of the world?

    Posted 7 years ago by Luke Chong · Reply

  • The global audience are watching the case because it is linked to many countries and so its better the court conducts it in English for thourough understanding and without any doubt BM is our official language.

    Posted 7 years ago by Selvadurai K Nadaysen · Reply

    • ..... precisely why the young, pretty, nubile Putri UMNO members were paid to join in the protests ....people always associate "nice looking" to heroes and "ugliness" to villains ...

      Posted 7 years ago by Malaysian First · Reply

  • Tommy Thomas continue to speak in the language you are most comfortable. English is international and the lingua franca...stay Malaysian and international. You have Press from all over the world recording what you are saying and you don't want them to misintepret what you are saying in B. Malaysia. Get used to the heckling and continue speaking in English if you so choose...

    Posted 7 years ago by Sally Teoh · Reply

  • Tommy Thomas continue to speak in the language you are most comfortable. English is international and the lingua franca...stay Malaysian and international. You have Press from all over the world recording what you are saying and you don't want them to misintepret what you are saying in B. Malaysia. Get used to the heckling and continue speaking in English if you so choose...

    Posted 7 years ago by Sally Teoh · Reply

  • Tommy Thomas continue to speak in the language you are most comfortable. English is international and the lingua franca...stay Malaysian and international. You have Press from all over the world recording what you are saying and you don't want them to misintepret what you are saying in B. Malaysia. Get used to the heckling and continue speaking in English if you so choose...

    Posted 7 years ago by Sally Teoh · Reply

  • By speaking English, does it make one less Malaysian? Don't understand what the fuss is about. Tommy Thomas is A Malaysian.

    Posted 7 years ago by CR RC · Reply

  • A.G. Thomas continue to speak in the language you can best express the law, and comfortable with. Don't get fezzled with the people who heckle you because they are out to cause trouble. Just ignore them. We are a tri-lingual and multi-lingual country. It is overrated this speaking in BM ... just another point scoring. Besides we have the International Press recording you.

    Posted 7 years ago by Sally Teoh · Reply

  • IMO, this heckling is pre-planned, as I deduced from watching TV3 Malay news ...... the ladies looked young and wear red, most likely Putri UMNO members ... UMNO used them knowing the male PDRM cannot touch/rounded up them (to stop the nonsense) unlike if they are male protesters (next time PDRM should have female police as backup to handle them)..... times are hard and no "dekak" so protesting to earn some extra income (these folks are "losers" if they work in the private sector and enter politics for "skim cepat kaya"; many of them must be unemployed, or else why bother, its a working day) ...... I am so surprised that even such an eminent person as Haniff Omar stoop so low as to join in the protest at the Finance Ministry ..... time must be really bad for retired politicians and civil servants, no thanks to UMNO (and TDM 1.0 ?) ....

    Posted 7 years ago by Malaysian First · Reply

  • With complicated matters like 1MDB a court would permit English to be used, as it helps disposal of the case? Media attention the world over too attracts the language..

    Posted 7 years ago by MELVILLE JAYATHISSA · Reply

  • I have been to court and on witness stand. Even though the Judge and the defendants' lawyers are all Muslims, they have no problems proceeding with English as most of decision papers in the past were written in English. These people just want to create tension to deflect the fact that Najib is the charged person and English is not at trial here.Please grow up if these people want Malaysia to reach international standard and maturity.

    Posted 7 years ago by Kim Hock Lim · Reply

  • This shows the need for teaching English in a big way to bring everyone on board for economic survival later on..

    Posted 7 years ago by MELVILLE JAYATHISSA · Reply

  • They used to live up Najibs butthole where they were not exposed to English. Now out of a sudden they are forced to understand english, and they revert to their comfort zone. Truly bangang of the highest order. These people should truly practise safe sex as not to create anymore bangangs down the line!

    Posted 7 years ago by Think Aloud · Reply

  • So sad that racism is still very much alive in the country. Harapan better deal with it effectively.

    Posted 7 years ago by Jesse Lingard · Reply

  • This is an international case of epic corruption and money laundering proportions (even US attorney-general Jeff Sessions concurs) and it is timely and right to show the world audience Malaysia has law and order. It is not ex-pm Najib's lawless country whereby all the institutions that were constitutionally instituted to check and prevent abuses were prevented from discharging their lawful duties. Only one Lingua Franca is understood worldwide: English. AG Tommy we are fully supportive of your pursue of justice in this case using English! Ignore the disgraceful ignorant racists and bigots!

    Posted 7 years ago by Luke Chong · Reply

  • Hes a msian AG.. A national icon he must be able to speak a reasonably good malay as it is a national language. The use of language subjects to audience and requirements..when asked to speak in malay he shd have entertained it and can added up with english. Common sense and wisdom shd be applied.

    Posted 7 years ago by Abdul Murad Othman · Reply

  • Noraini and her herd were screaming like hyenas 'Melayu', 'Melayu'!! It was a bit confusing and I struggled to understand what their intention was. We should be proud that we are able to understand both English and BM. The 'niat' was to cause a ruckus and they did at the end embarrass Malaysia. The foreign press would have had a field day. First a soiled reputation by MO1 and to add curry to the dish, UMNO hooligans uncouth behaviour.

    Posted 7 years ago by JK Unrowling · Reply

  • In simple English u can call them wasted sperm. UMNO= MORONS

    Posted 7 years ago by Gill Singh · Reply

  • The issue here is corruption,involving the theft of billions if the peoples money by the ex-PM.It is not about language used by AG.English is being used widely in our courts due to its relevance in legal matters and everybody understands it.Why make it a racial issue again like Umno used to all the while.Its ok to support your leader if he is right.Why support him when the facts are clearly against him..

    Posted 7 years ago by Chris Anthony · Reply

  • The important issue is does justice prevail? Not language, not race.

    Posted 7 years ago by Awang Top · Reply

  • It's not about not understanding English, these UMNO moron just trying to distract peoples attention from the real issues. Their placards are in English so what's the issue here? Next, is there a prerequisite that AG must be fluent in English? Or all court proceeding must be conducted in Malay?They are making an idiots of themselves.

    Posted 7 years ago by Abdul Aziz Bidin · Reply