.: malay :.

me: hakim, kenapa hakim suka hari raya?

hakim: sebab hakim boleh pakai "baru kasut"!!! *smiles gleefully*

"baru kasut" - a literal translation of new shoes. Those who do know malay would immediately find fault in the phrase' structure. shouldve been "kasut baru" instead. Recently, hazim said "sekolah beg"(school bag) instead of beg sekolah. to my mum's horror, 6 year old hakim doesnt know how to count, citing the number eleven or sebelas in malay, as "satu belas" (this problem was rectified in one night - my mum had what- i- would- call the "numbers-drill" with him before he went to sleep)

it is of course not the children's fault. Growing up in a house (we live next door to each other so more like 2=1 house) where parents, aunties and uncles speak english constantly with the exception of their grandparents (we insist they speak more malay with their atuk & nenek), english-speaking friends and english-language TV programmes, it is no wonder that they would turn out the way they are.

not that we dont place importance on the malay language - yes, we get worried when their malay exams are round the corner. we, of course, do not hide our expectations that they should score As especially in their mother tongue. "jangan malukan bangsa ok. ur abah, emak, cik sainy, cik nana and mak busu(myself) used to get A*s, A1s and awards for malay tau." (now to think of it, kesian jugak budak-budak ni)

ooops, now that i mentioned it, teringat pulak, yes, i used to ace my malay, getting awards for the language year after year (some of my peers actually thought that i would become a malay teacher). oh well, until the asean scholars came while i was in secondary three and i had to concede defeat. bahasa melayu dieorang POWER! But now that i dont speak much malay, my malay has gone "karat". the last time i gave a talk in malay to an audience of 200 odd people, the makcik thought i was malaysian.

POKOKNYA (one of my fav words- translated to mean " the point being") i still do believe that malay as a language and as a culture is still important & relevant. the language is wonderful, kind and subtle, delicate even - nature as a common reference in its idioms. the culture (the good ones) which includes cooperation, communality, respect and reverence to the elders and putting others before self are some things that would do good if instilled in the young today. malay is also a language that has reference to arabic and islam.

bahasa menunjukkan bangsa dan budaya. bahasa melayu melambangkan budaya, dan budaya kita seharusnya budaya islam.

semoga adat, bahasa dan budaya tak lekang dek zaman, tak luput dek hujan. terus segar membina jati diri seorang melayu muslim.