Do You Need To Master BM To Be Malaysian?

Associate Professor Dr Helen Ting, senior fellow, Institute of Malaysian and International Studies, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

07-Dec-23 18:00

Do You Need To Master BM To Be Malaysian?

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A woman went viral on social media recently after sharing her experience renewing her daughter's passport and being ridiculed by the immigration staff member for not being able to speak fluent Bahasa Malaysia. Following that, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail defended the staff member, saying that it was a way to confirm citizenship and that one's obligation to mastering BM cannot be compromised. So we talk about the link between language and national identity.

Image Credit: Facebook / Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia

Produced by: Alia Zefri, Sharmilla Ganesan

Presented by: Sharmilla Ganesan, Sharaad Kuttan

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Categories: Law/Activism, controversies, culture

Tags: language, culture, national identity,

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