KUALA LUMPUR: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) has expressed dissatisfaction at the decision by the Youth and sports Ministry to rename and rebrand the “2019 National Sports Day” ’ to Malaysia Sports Challenge 2019 (MySC’19).
In a statement issued yesterday, DBP said that if the programme or activity is to be held at international level, it should have bilingual names with the one in the national language to be prioritised, while those in other languages to have translation in the national language.
“Article 152 of the Federal Constitution and the National Language Act 1963/67 provides that the Malay language is the official language of the country,” it said.
DBP said the rebranding of the National Sports Day by the Youth and Sports Ministry was not in line with the government's aspiration to expand the use of the Malay language, including in official government programs.
“DBP urges all ministries and government agencies to uphold the national language as a national identity and a vehicle for communication and unity in all departmental, national and international programs," it said. — Bernama
