Jakarta (ANTARA News) – Suddenly, in conjunction with the Summit Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) 18th place 5-8 May in Jakarta, Indonesian encouraging discourse into ASEAN language back to life.
Of course, most welcome this initiative is the Indonesian community.
BETWEEN come across a number of people independently in several places to ask the community hopes to keketuaan ASEAN Indonesia, particularly in relation to terrwujudnya motto of “one vision, one identity and one community.”
“Indonesia is not currently as Chair of ASEAN this year, so should be able to use the momentum to carry the Indonesian is the language of ASEAN,” said Mahmud Rustam (62), a retired civil servant, Friday.
Mahmud acknowledged, differences of social and cultural background of ASEAN community will be an obstacle to realizing the hopes that. Importantly, he said, Indonesia should strive to realize the relationship between communities of ASEAN after the establishment of ASEAN Community 2015.
Mahmud who claim to have never heard of the concept of the ASEAN Community 2015 hope this regional group prefers economic cooperation rather than social, cultural, political, defense and security.
“Currently the most important is the welfare of the people through a strong economy, social security and it can catch up,” said Mahmud.
Not only Indonesian Mahmud who want to be “national language” of ASEAN. Yuwono Ario, civil servants in Jakarta, Indonesian sure could be used as an official language of ASEAN because it is used by more than a third of the population of ASEAN.
“When viewed from the total population, Indonesia is not the population is more than a third of the total population of ASEAN countries,” said 24-year-old man.
Like Mahmud, Yuwono suggest ASEAN must move toward economic role, so as to face the twisted economic giant China, including to Southeast Asia.
“United to face the onslaught from China and make equitable prosperity all its member countries,” continued Yuwono told AFP on Friday.
Others in the view of Dinda Saraswati (29). Employee private company in Jakarta, the aspiration to raise the status of Indonesian became the official language of ASEAN will add to the pride of the people of Indonesia.
“Maybe with Indonesian is the language of ASEAN, its citizens can better appreciate the Indonesian and we will be proud to use the language of the whole of ASEAN,” he said.
Dinda berusul even further. According to him, ASEAN is not only need a single language, but also a common currency. “So every country has the same standard,” he reasoned.
Parallel to the English Language
Is Chairman of the House of Representatives, Marzuki Alie who became the first person to publicly propose Indonesian become one of the official languages of ASEAN, to our ASEAN partners.
Marzuki submit the proposal in the first plenary session of the 31st General Assembly of ASEAN Inter Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) in Hanoi, Vietnam, 21 September 2010.
At that time, Marzuki said, “The use of Indonesian will open opportunities to other languages to become the working language in the AIPA.”
Marzuki’s proposal is actually been raised since the beginning of the arrival of the Parliament delegation to Hanoi, Vietnam, at a meeting of ASEAN parliament last year.
The day before Marzuki initiative, on September 20 that year, the AIPA Executive Committee meeting, Indonesia has proposed amendments to the statutes of AIPA for Indonesian entry in the working language of AIPA, in addition to English.
Arisman Muhammad (24) read a suggestion to make Indonesian became the official language of ASEAN as an effort to offer a unitary identity for the organization of this Southeast Asian region.
For students S2 one public university in Bandung, ASEAN does not have a common identity that can support the integrity, including one single language. That happens because the culture of ASEAN member countries berkaraktistik unique.
“Economically, Malaysia and Singapore is far superior, but from the political point of view there are countries who have differences with others, so that a single identity will be difficult to achieve,” said Arisman trying to analyze.
Indonesian Indonesia itself set as the national language to unite the diverse ethnic groups in the country whose language is too wide.
But, at least from the claims of the Indonesian Foreign Ministry official, Andri Hadi, there are currently 45 countries have taught Indonesian at their schools. Among the most familiar are Australia, the United States, Canada and Vietnam.
Even in Australia, Indonesian became the fourth popular language in the land of Kangaroo’s. Imagine there are 500 schools in this country that teach the Indonesian language.
“So the kids grade six elementary schools were already there who can speak Indonesian,” said Andrew some time ago.
While in Vietnam, in December 2007, the Regional Government of Ho Chi Minh City, has announced the Indonesian became the official second language. Vietnam became the first ASEAN member who set the Indonesian as a second official language of the country.
“Indonesian parallel with English, French and Japanese as a second language a priority,” said Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City at the time, Irdamis Ahmad.
Momentum Indonesia as Chairman of the ASEAN community turned out to uncover a lot of hope. Indonesian is the language that ASEAN is one of hope.
Indonesia Could it happen? (*)