The issue began after a screenshot of the definition for the word “tambi” on DBP’s online dictionary went viral recently. DBP defined it as a “word used to refer to a keling person younger than us”. “Tambi” is also Tamil for younger brother.

“Rather than apologising or having any sense of regret for hurting the Indian community, DBP had merely stated that it would update the Kamus Pelajar (Students’ Dictionary).

“An update is neither an admission of guilt nor an apology. Does the DBP think Indians can be insulted and called names just because of the prevalence of insensitivity?

“Where is the sense of remorse and responsibility by the DBP?” Ramasamy asked in a statement.

He said the justification for the use of the word “keling” as it originated from “Kelinga”, purporting it to be the name of the Indian community, cannot be used, as it was not recognised as another way to refer to people of Indian descent.

While the offending word “keling” is shown in a definition for the Tamil word “tambi” from the Kamus Pelajar, second edition, an updated definition without the offending word is given in the fourth edition of Kamus Dewan, the main dictionary under the DBP.

The outdated definition appears when a search for the word “tambi” is conducted at the Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu, the DBP’s online dictionary.

The first result is the definition “panggilan utk orang Keling yg lebih muda drpd kita” with a secondary definition of a “peon” or office boy. However, the definition in the Kamus Dewan, fourth edition, is “panggilan utk orang India yg berpangkat adik”.

Yesterday, DBP clarified that the latest version of its Kamus Dewan Perdana mentions that the word “keling” is taboo.

The language agency said its publications were a “living dictionary” that recorded history but were also updated with the changes in time.

It said that in 2003, a legal challenge was mounted to remove “keling” from the Kamus Dewan, but the court ruled that the word could be retained as “there was no mala fide”.