00:00Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has criticised certain elite groups for their obsession with
00:06the English language, which has led them to underestimate the importance of Malay, the
00:11national language.
00:13He said the belief that success and intelligence can only be achieved through mastery of English
00:17is misguided.
00:19He said that while he does not advocate reducing the importance of English, he also rejects
00:23any phobia towards Malay, Bernama reported.
00:27Anwar said the emphasis on mastering any language should not be a zero-sum game that
00:31sidelines Malay as the national language.
00:34He said any focus within the education system on utilising other languages, such as Chinese
00:39and Tamil, should not diminish the focus on Malay, adding that a similar emphasis on Malay
00:43should be given by the private sector.
00:46Anwar called on the various ethnic groups in the country to strengthen their commitment
00:50to empower the Malay language.
00:52Anwar said his leadership would remain dedicated to elevating Malay, while ensuring other languages,
00:57are not marginalised.
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