Fine Your Language? Start with the Ministers

Wonders never cease. Perhaps some ministers feel left out of the limelight; what with the stories on the RM490 London sports complex, the Crooked Bridge saga and the MAS foreign currency minefield.

Maybe it is to provide some light relief to all the heavy drama that has been going on, a contrast so that we can really appreciate the commands of the Prime Minister when he returns.

Just watch any minister on TV even the Malay leaders and you will quickly discover that they cannot speak in one language for a minute and invariably lapse into “Manglish”.

Perhaps the DBP needs to reinvent itself to make Bahasa Malaysia more attractive as younger Malaysians will be using more English in the future.

How about setting up a watchdog on those who appear on TV for a start and spot all those ministers who mix up the languages and fine them RM1 for each deviation?

Just like paying up for traffic offences, our ministers should show a good example don’t you agree?
Oops I forget – many have not paid up for years and even after a discount.

One last idea – if the DBP cannot really craft methods to promote a beautiful language other than this fine method, perhaps we should relegate them to the National Museum and use their budget to train better language teachers who will make the language come to life again.

photo:http://thestar.com.my/archives/2005/9/30/budget2006/budget2006abdullahinparl.JPG