Guan Eng finds language still prickly issue in new Malaysia

Updated 5 years ago · Published on 25 Jun 2018 1:23PM · 5 Comments

AS Lim Guan Eng sees it, many of the restrictions and rules of the old regime do not apply in new Malaysia.

It is why the finance minister has issued a statement in Chinese and why he is now defending his action against the brickbats he has received on the internet over the past few days.

Lim said the Federal Constitution allowed the use of the Chinese language in official statements, following charges that he did not respect Bahasa Malaysia as the national language.

In a statement, also written in Chinese, the DAP secretary-general said the use of another language showed that the Pakatan Harapan government recognised the advantages of being a multilingual country.

“According to the Federal Constituion, no one can stop another person from communicating in, teaching or learning another language.

“In the spirit of the Constitution, what is wrong with issuing statements in Chinese or other languages?” he said.

Lim said his critics were “racists” and he would not give in to them.

He said that Mandarin translations of his press statements were done when they involved technical terms needed to aid the Chinese-language press in their reporting.

He said these translations were circulated to the press through social media or other platforms and were not used on the Finance Ministry’s official website. 

“When necessary, statements will still be issued in Mandarin for the Chinese media inside and outside the country.

“Malaysia baru is inclusive and about being respectful to one another. While we uphold Bahasa Malaysia as the national language, we must also master other languages to increase our ability to compete.” – June 25, 2018.

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Comments

  • So the issue really is on LGE OFFICIAL PERSONAL webpage, he issued the statement in Mandarin - and the critics pound on him because its not Bahasa Malaysia - attacking him for no Bahasa official statement. Now his defenders says he did issued official statement in 3 language - just that his webpage first one is in Chinese. LGE's personal webpage by right does not belong to the govt but he is a top govt official so its a grey area. It would have been more careful to issue ALL official statements first in Bahasa on personal webpage or or.

    Posted 5 years ago by Bigjoe Lam · Reply

  • While Bahasa as the official language unites Malaysians to be able to communicate with each other more effectively, for global survival economically, English especially will allow us to more easily tap the world for jobs without the need to breathe down each others' necks if jobs ever become hard to find because of an economic downturn. China's huge market is also there with proficiency in their lingo..

    Posted 5 years ago by MELVILLE JAYATHISSA · Reply

  • A side comment. We have to think globally. While Bahasa as the official language plays a role in uniting Malaysians to be able to communicate with each other more effectively, for global survival economically English especially will allow us to more easily tap the world for jobs without the need to breathe down each others' necks if jobs ever become hard to find because of an economic downturn, or when Industrial Revolution (No. 4) lands upon us and takes away some jobs with its robots & AI. China's huge market is also there with proficiency in their lingo..

    Posted 5 years ago by MELVILLE JAYATHISSA · Reply

  • Kenapalah bodoh sangat? Hang pi tulis bahasa cina tu sapa yang faham? Kementerian hang sendiri pun ada berapo kerat aja org cina. Susah sangat nak tulis dalam BM ke? Tak faham betul lah.

    Posted 5 years ago by Mark Francis · Reply

  • Give it to them LGE. And keep up the good work. Never mind the racist idiots like KJ and Mydin. They have lived in a bubble of their own twisted reality which is far removed from the man on the street. That's why BN lost.

    Posted 5 years ago by Anthony Long · Reply