Developing ‘Bahasa Indonesia’

We appreciate Vice President Jusuf Kalla for his statement that the Indonesian language must be developed in line with the times. The statement felt apt, as it was delivered during the opening of the 11th Indonesian Language Congress, which 1,031 participants.

KOMPAS/NINA SUSILO

The building on Jalan Budi Utomo Number 1, Jakarta, which is now one of the central offices of Kimia Farma, became a witness on the debates among Indonesian young people in 1926 to unite movements towards independence. The first Youth Congress in 1926, which was followed by the second Youth Congress in 1928, became the milestone for the unity of the Indonesian nation through the unifying bridge, Bahasa Indonesia.

We appreciate Vice President Jusuf Kalla for his statement that the Indonesian language must be developed in line with the times.

The statement felt apt, as it was delivered during the opening of the 11^th Indonesian Language Congress (KBI), which 1,031 participants of various backgrounds attended. Apart from experts, teachers and academics, public officials, Indonesian language advocates as well as Indonesian and regional linguistics and literature enthusiasts also attended the congress held in Jakarta on Oct. 28-31.

Themed “Glorifying Indonesian Language and Literature”, the congress presented 27 keynote speakers and 72 other speakers from both Indonesia and abroad that had been selected through a rigorous process. Therefore, it is no understatement to say that we are hoping for great things from the congress.

The first hope is surely the development of the Indonesian language to adapt it to public needs in technology, science and economics for wide acceptance. We have strong capital to achieve this, namely in our 250 million people that speak the language. However, it must be underlined that many people, especially in the middle class, seem to feel more pride in using foreign languages in everyday life, especially English.

Many in the middle class send their children to schools that use English as the language of instruction. Surely, this is not wrong, as English proficiency is increasingly becoming a need or even a requirement in this contemporary age of technological advancements. Nevertheless, we wish to emphasize that many children in major cities are experiencing difficulties communicating in Indonesian. Apart from schools using foreign languages as the language of instruction, parents often also use foreign languages at home.

The second hope is that, through the congress, we are able to preserve and develop our literature as part a national treasure. Concrete strategies and policy formulas are required so that literature, including regional literature, can be integrated further in social life, especially among students.

These two hopes are no exaggeration, as the 2018 Indonesian Language Congress covered various subthemes, including language and literary diversity in many aspects of life. Sastrawan Berkarya di Daerah 3T (Writers’ Works in Frontier Regions) was also launched, alongside other linguistics and literary products. It was also announced that, of the 33 recommendations made during the 2013 KBI, 32 had been implemented over the past five years.

Lastly, we hope that the KBI will grow to be more than a routine event held every five years. We hope it will produce formulas and recommendations to guide concrete policies in literature and linguistics. More importantly, the KBI should also foster a sense of national price and love for the language and literature of Indonesia.