Language issue: NGO submits memorandum, demands Guan Eng apologise

PUTRAJAYA: More than 50 Malay non-governmental organisations (NGOs) led by the advisor of the Malay Consultative Council (MPM) Tun Hanif Omar today submitted a memorandum titled "Upholding the Malay Language in the Malaysian Government's Administration' to Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng.
Among others, the four-page memorandum contained a call to Lim to use the Malay Language in all official government matters and to withdraw all documents written in Mandarin.
The memorandum was received by the secretary of the Corporate Strategy and Communications in the Finance Ministry Suhaili Ahmad at the ministry's office here.
The memorandum also demanded that the Finance Ministry use the Malay language in all official matters, to respect the Malay language as the national language and to be an exemplary leadership which prioritises the Malay language.
Earlier, Hanif, a former Inspector-General of Police, as well as several other notable figures, joined a peaceful gathering organised by the Malaysian National Writers' Association (Gapena) outside the Putra Mosque here after Friday prayers protesting Lim's action.
The other personalities who took part in the protest included the former chairman of MAS Tan Sri Abd Aziz Abd Rahman, the former director-general of Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) Datuk Dr Awang Sariyan, MPM secretary Datuk Dr Hassan Mad and Gapena deputy head Amiruddin Md Ali Hanafiah.
In his speech, Hanif demanded that Lim apologises for using another language other than the National Language in an official statement by the Finance Ministry.
He said Lim must apologise as even Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had said it was a mistake that must be avoided.
Hanif said as a minister, Lim must set an example for the non-Malay community by upholding the national language which is a unifying factor for all the races in the country. — Bernama