161 CIVIL SERVANTS COMMISSIONED AS 'MUNSYI MUDA BAHASA'

KUALA LUMPUR, 6 Nov (Bernama) -- A total of 161 civil servants from various ministries and agencies received their letters of appointment and were commissioned as Munsyi Muda Bahasa (junior linguistic advisers) today.

The commissioning enables them to take on an active role as Munsyi Muda Bahasa in their respective organisations, ensuring the correct usage of the language in communication and official documents.

Public Service Director-General (KPPA) Tan Sri Wan Ahmad Dahlan Abdul Aziz expressed hope that the increase in the number of Munsyi Muda Bahasa would strengthen the quality of Malay language usage across ministries, departments, and agencies, thus becoming a driving force for linguistic activities.

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“The use of the Malay language in official government documents must comply with standard spelling and grammar.

“The government sector’s use of the Malay language often sets a benchmark for the private sector and even foreign parties keen on using the language,” he said in his speech at the Presentation of Certificates of Appointment and Commissioning for the 2023/2024 Munsyi Muda Bahasa at the National Institute of Public Administration (INTAN) here. 

The text of his speech was read by Public Service deputy director-general (operations) Datuk Mohd Shaiful Ibrahim.

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Two Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) staff members, namely Malay sub-editor Hisham Abdul Hamid and journalist Hasnah Jusid, were among those who received their certificates of appointment at the event.

At the ceremony, Jackie Mary Fernandis from Parlimen Malaysia and Mohamad Haziq Mohd Fauri from the Prime Minister’s Department were named the best participants for 2023 and 2024, respectively, while Zulkifli Mohd Yunus from Istana Negara was crowned the overall best participant.

Mohamad Haziq said the proper and correct use of the Malay language in government affairs should not be limited to documentation alone but should also serve as a catalyst for strengthening identity and enhancing public service delivery.

Head of the Public Relations Unit of the Selangor Fire and Rescue Department Mohd Nazrullah Abdul Aziz, meanwhile, said that his love for language and literature motivated him to pursue the role of Munsyi Muda Bahasa.

“With this commissioning, I will play a more active role in ensuring the proper use of the Malay language within the department, whether in formal writing or during any related activities,” he said.

The Munsyi Muda Bahasa programme, which began in 2015 in collaboration with INTAN and Dewan Bahasa Pustaka (DBP), requires civil servants to attend a five-day Malay language course.

Participants must pass a language comprehension assessment by DBP and attend a reinforcement course to qualify for certification.

-- BERNAMA