PERSONALITY OF MALAYSIANS THROUGH NATIONAL LANGUAGE

KUALA LUMPUR, June 8 (Bernama) -- The personality of Malaysians should be
highlighted through the use and appreciation of the national language by all
citizens regardless of race and religion to achieve the spirit of '1Bahasa,
1Malaysia', said Muhyiddin Yassin.

The Deputy Prime Minister said the national language was not only for the
Malays but also for the Chinese, Indians, Iban, Kadazan and all other ethnic
groups in the country.

"The national language represents the identity and strength of a particular
country and forms an important platform for the development of a nation-state,"
he said when opening the Seminar on National Language and the Chinese Community
here Monday.

Muhyiddin said he was proud of the efforts made by the Dewan Bahasa Pustaka
or DBP (The Institute of Language and Literature) and several non-governmental
organisations (NGOs) from the Chinese community, including the Malaysian
Association of Translators and Creative Writers (PERSPEKTIF) in organising the
seminar to discuss the best method of empowering the national language with the
objective of moulding a nation-state that was united.

"I understand that the seminar is being held to evaluate and appreciate the
role played by the Chinese community in empowering the national language.

"It is a positive move particularly in re-evaluating the existing approach
and planning follow-up actions with potentials to strengthen solidarity among
the various communities through the use of the national language with the
involvement of the Chinese community collectively and significantly," he said.

Muhyiddin, who is also the Education Minister, said the one-day seminar
could find the best way to enhance the effectiveness of the implementation of
the National Language Policy and this would be implemented seriously and
continuously in future.

He said he fully supported the efforts to hold the Language and Literary
Festival and the creation of the Solidarity Promotion Fund aimed at promoting
the use of the National Language as a language of unity in Private Chinese
Secondary Schools, and Chinese and Tamil National Type Schools.

He also said that the Education Ministry, through the DBP, had agreed to
conduct a series of training to strengthen the national language among teachers
who taught 'Bahasa Malaysia' in private Chinese schools.
-- BERNAMA