Dimana martabat Bahasa Kebangsaan

Reading this article makes me wonder what is wrong with the idea of having a national language? The news, Council staff to learn Mandarin, seems to give a very bad picture all-together.

A nation needs to have a proper setup of a unifying language that should be able to be used by evryone, whatever it is.

Maybe it's time for Malaysia to adopt Bahasa Mandarin as the national language?

Did you miss the article below?:-
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The Star Online > Nation

Friday April 1, 2005
Council staff to learn Mandarin
BY MAZNI MUSTAFA

IPOH: In a bid to serve the people better, the city council's counter staff will be learning Mandarin.

Datuk Bandar Datuk Hasan Nawawi Abdul Rahman said the first batch of 20 would undergo a three-month Mandarin-speaking course starting Sunday.

“We want our staff to know how to speak at least basic Mandarin or Cantonese because 60% of our clients are Chinese.

“By learning the language, they will be able to provide better services to our clients,” he said after chairing the monthly full board meeting here yesterday.

On another matter, Hasan reminded his officers not to delay the issuance of certificate of fitnesses (CFs) with excuses that the officers in charge were on leave or that the files had been misplaced.

He said a developer had lodged a complaint about such an occurrence recently.

He added that issuing CFs speedily ensured that development was not hindered and would bring in more revenue for the council.


© 1995-2005 Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd (Co No 10894-D)

Astaghfirullah-hal-azeem-- Malaysia car thieves steal finger

I read it at bbc.co.uk today, BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Malaysia car thieves steal finger

What on earth is happening in Malaysia these days?

If you have missed it, here's the captured text:-
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Malaysia car thieves steal finger

By Jonathan Kent BBC News, Kuala Lumpur

Police in Malaysia are hunting for members of a violent gang who chopped off a car owner's finger to get round the vehicle's hi-tech security system.

The car, a Mercedes S-class, was protected by a fingerprint recognition system.

Accountant K Kumaran's ordeal began when he was run down by four men in a small car as he was about to get into his Mercedes in a Kuala Lumpur suburb.

The gang, armed with long machetes, demanded the keys to his car.

It is worth around $75,000 second-hand on the local market, where prices are high because of import duties.

Stripped naked

The attackers forced Mr Kumaran to put his finger on the security panel to start the vehicle, bundled him into the back seat and drove off.

But having stripped the car, the thieves became frustrated when they wanted to restart it. They found they again could not bypass the immobiliser, which needs the owner's fingerprint to disarm it.

They stripped Mr Kumaran naked and left him by the side of the road - but not before cutting off the end of his index finger with a machete.

Police believe the gang is responsible for a series of thefts in the area.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/4396831.stm

Published: 2005/03/31 10:37:04 GMT

© BBC MMV