Salleh: Dictionary historic milestone for Bajausama community

KOTA KINABALU: Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Dr Salleh Said Keruak has described today's launch of the Bajausama Language Basic Dictionary as an historic milestone for the Bajausama community.
Salleh, who is also the patron of the Kota Belud Bajausama Association of Language and Culture, said the dictionary would provide for the establishment of the Bajausama system of words and their spelling after hundreds of years of oral use of the language.
"Hence, the status of this language will surge to another level and discipline of clearer use and higher quality.
"It is hoped that the publication of the dictionary will have a positive impact on the gallery of languages of our multi-racial and multi-ethnic nation," he said at the launch of the dictionary at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) here.
Also present at the launch were UMS vice-chancellor Prof Dr D. Kamarudin D. Mudin; president of the Kota Belud Bajausama Association of Language and Culture, Chendramata Sinteh; and the consultant for the publication of the dictionary, Dr Mark Miller.
Salleh said the publication of the dictionary would also enable the Bajausama community to move forward as it portrays its wealth of history, culture, traditions and language to the international community.
He said that as the advisor of the Bajausama Association of Language and Culture, he had constantly followed the developments on the work to publish the dictionary that had taken years.
"This effort has consumed much time but it has been most meaningful because, besides fulfilling the trust of the forefathers who wanted to see the Bajausama language keep abreast of the times, it has redeemed the dignity of the Bajausama future generations. Congratulations to the Bajausama Association of Language and Culture," he said.
Salleh also said that he wanted Bajausama to be made a language of knowledge so that there would be a need for the future generations of the community to learn it.
The dictionary would also benefit those interested in writing about culture, religion and history as well as short stories on the Bajausama community for the consumption of the global community, he said. — Bernama