Batu Kitang State Assemblyman Dato Ir Lo Khere Chiang has reiterated Sarawak\u2019s commitment to maintaining English as an official language alongside Bahasa Malaysia (BM), stressing that the state\u2019s bilingual policy is a legal right and a strategic advantage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lo was responding to a recent statement by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) Director-General, who criticized the use of English in government programs such as \u2018Back to School\u2019 and \u2018KL Car-Free Morning.\u2019 The DBP official had argued that Bahasa Malaysia should be the sole language for all official matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lo stated that Sarawak is not bound by the National Language Act 1963\/1967, unlike Malaya. Instead, Sarawak’s right to use both BM and English is safeguarded under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOur Premier, YAB Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, has always defended Sarawak\u2019s right to use both languages. This is a practical approach that strengthens our global competitiveness and ensures our people remain well-equipped to face the challenges of a globalized world,\u201d Lo said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He pointed out that English plays a crucial role in science, technology, and economic growth, with the majority of academic research and international business transactions conducted in the language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSarawak is moving forward with progressive policies. Instead of resisting English, we embrace it as a gateway to economic success and innovation. This approach benefits not only Sarawakians but Malaysia as a whole,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Beyond language policy, Lo highlighted Sarawak\u2019s commitment to inclusivity and progress, citing its recognition of the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) in 2014, the establishment of the Unit for Other Religions (UNIFOR) in 2017, and its leadership in renewable energy development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhile Malaya continues to politicize education and language issues, Sarawak focuses on real progress\u2014be it in governance, education, or sustainable development,\u201d Lo stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He further noted that Sarawak\u2019s education policies, including free tertiary education for eligible Sarawakians starting in 2026, demonstrate the state\u2019s focus on merit and opportunity rather than divisive politics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe world is moving forward, and so is Sarawak. The question is whether the rest of Malaysia wants to join us or remain trapped in outdated debates over race, religion, and language,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Batu Kitang State Assemblyman Dato Ir Lo Khere Chiang has reiterated Sarawak\u2019s commitment to maintaining English as an official language alongside Bahasa Malaysia (BM), stressing that the state\u2019s bilingual policy is a legal right and a strategic advantage. Lo was responding to a recent statement by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) Director-General, who criticized the use of English in government programs such as \u2018Back to School\u2019 and \u2018KL Car-Free Morning.\u2019 The DBP official had argued that Bahasa Malaysia should be the sole language for all official matters. Lo stated thatRead More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":32857,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,1,7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.suppnewsportal.com\/main\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32856"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.suppnewsportal.com\/main\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.suppnewsportal.com\/main\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.suppnewsportal.com\/main\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.suppnewsportal.com\/main\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=32856"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.suppnewsportal.com\/main\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32856\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32858,"href":"https:\/\/www.suppnewsportal.com\/main\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32856\/revisions\/32858"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.suppnewsportal.com\/main\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/32857"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.suppnewsportal.com\/main\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=32856"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.suppnewsportal.com\/main\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=32856"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.suppnewsportal.com\/main\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=32856"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}