ENFORCING the use of Bahasa Malaysia at all official functions, including at international meetings, is a regressive move, former minister Rafidah Aziz said today.

She said civil servants should instead be raising their proficiency in English, including other relevant languages.

“I sympathise with international trade ministry officers and others who still need to deal with the foreign community, should they be forced to comply with the use of Malay on all official matters.

“We should be progressing and moving forward, not regressing and sliding backwards and downwards,” she said in a Facebook post.

She added that civil servants’ competence in English used to be a key driver in attracting high-quality foreign investments.

Known for her no-nonsense attitude, Rafidah criticised Chief Secretary Mohd Zuki Ali’s statement in calling on the Public Service Department to consider punitive measures to “enforce” the use of Malay language in communications with the rest of the world.

Rafidah said that when she was the trade and industry minister, she had prioritised the use of English to ensure efficiency in the delivery of its services.

“Every year, the private sector honoured the ministry with the annual enterprise award. Communication was facilitated and effective.

“The vision and reference point was ‘Malaysia in the regional and global infrastructure’. Not Malaysia in its own ‘syok sendiri’, tiny, self-wound cocoon.

“If this mindset of being inward-looking persists, with penalties imposed for communicating with the rest of the world in English, then we will be the bureaucratic pariahs in Asean,” Rafidah, also known as the Iron Lady, said.

Recently while addressing a symposium on promoting the use of Bahasa Malaysia at Asean and international meetings, Zuki called on the Public Service Department to consider corrective and punitive measures to enforce the use of the language in the civil service and other government-related agencies, including government-linked companies.

He said he would like to see full compliance with the government policy as it was announced by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob that the national language be used not only within the country but also internationally.

In February, Ismail said the country will use Bahasa Malaysia at all official functions in which it is involved, including international meetings, as part of efforts to strengthen the national language.

He used Bahasa Malaysia when holding bilateral meetings and joint press conferences during official visits to Brunei, Cambodia and Thailand. – May 28, 2022.