Author Faizal Musa, more commonly known as Faisal Tehrani, said a failure to do so could lead to the extinction of many native languages and dialects.
He said the National Culture Policy introduced in 1971 only gave recognition to Bahasa Melayu whereas native languages like Iban are only considered dialects.
“Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka’s (DBP) mandate is to empower the national language, so you cannot lay the blame on DBP,” he told FMT, adding that this was why the policy needed to be reviewed.
The National Culture Policy was introduced in the aftermath of the May 13 riots in 1969 and revolves around three principles:
- that the national culture must be based on Malay culture;
- that suitable elements from other cultures may be accepted as part of the national culture; and
- that Islam is an important component in moulding the national culture.
Faisal said matters related to culture and heritage should come under the purview of the tourism, arts and culture ministry rather than the education ministry.
“The government has a responsibility to strengthen all languages and dialects, otherwise, languages will go extinct,” he said.
There are an estimated 137 languages in Malaysia, including many that are indigenous to Sabah and Sarawak such as Iban, Kadazan and Bidayuh, or the Orang Asli languages of Semai, Temiar and Jakun in West Malaysia.
There have also been concerns that younger generations of Malaysians may not use dialects like Hakka, Hokkien, or Telugu in the future
Faisal said the government needed to put effort into raising awareness about the importance of preserving the use of mother tongues which include dialects.
He said the government should act as a facilitator and empower the various languages and dialects.