One day in the month of Ramadhan, I was walking around the wet market and heard more than once, mothers teaching their children the English equivalents of the things found at the Pasar. Mind you, there is nothing wrong with a parent teaching their children, but to choose a foreign language over own national language raises the question: why? If someone speaks fluently in English, does that make them cleverer than those who speak fluent BM?

Why do people look in awe at Bruneians who can't even speak BM properly when speaking the national language constitutes part of the country's ideology of MIB? Of course a lot of people have made this presumption: that English is better than, say, our own language. But tell me, why do the French prefer to speak French and not English - even though they are both part of the EU - when we, living beneath the equator are willing to do so?

Again, I am not asking for our people to forget English altogether; but to remember to be proud of our own identity, what makes us Bruneians, and how better to show that than to embrace our own language?

Comments (14)

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written by dumbo , December 02, 2009

Yeah be proud, but why are you writing in English?

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Worrying about Bruneians speaking English a lot? Why don't worry that our own Brunei Dialect is getting extinction..
written by Solutech , December 02, 2009

Even this post is written in English... So why bother? Let's correct this from the very basic. At school we learn standard malay. It is Bahasa Malaysia Standard. Ops.. We have already lost our own Brunei dialect because in schools Brunei native language is never to be taught.. Think of it. Now you're worrying of our Bruneians speaking English a lot..

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written by Unionbade , December 02, 2009

Again? This thing is getting old.

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brunei
written by sapa , December 02, 2009

assalamualaikum..kan bertanya jua ku ah.. diora., kita mem 'post' di sini ani pakai bahasa apa tu ah. bukan bahasa inggeris kah tu? jadinya.....knapa tah kan di komen org d pasar atu kan mengajar anaknya? biarkan tiya bah... iya pun mau jua anaknya pandai bahasa english dah tu dapat mempost di sini ani pakai bahasa english juaaaaaaaaaa

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dumbo & soultech
written by proMalay , December 03, 2009

Negativeness won't get you anyway...

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Apanah...
written by Solutech , December 03, 2009

Huhu cali jua eh, salnya kn tpksa bah buat dlm English. Mun urg puteh mbca na jua pham ne kn bhasa melayu. pham pun ckit2 ja huhu

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Be 1st Class Bruneian
written by Aziz Ar-Rashid , December 03, 2009

Jangantah kan berkelaie pasal bahasa ani, lagi banyak bahasa kamu kuasai lagi baik,Bahasa Melayu Baku, Bahasa Arab ,English, French, Bahasa Jawa kah, Bahasa Brunei, Tutong, Belait...pelajarilah banyak bahasa buang masa saja kan kelaie pasal bahasa ani, Baik pulang kamu tolong orang susah di brunei ani...Bah Assalamualaikum, May Allah keep Brunei Darussalam in HIS care...Ameen

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written by ummm.... , December 03, 2009

just my 2cents. but errr, i think if you wanted to make a stronger point, it would've been a lot more effective if you posted this in malay as opposed to english. OR, you could've provided what you're trying to point out in both malay and english. but, i get your point in people prioritizing english over malay these days. i see it everywhere.

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written by Nii , December 03, 2009

agreed with Aziz Ar-Rashid, the more languages we learn the more competitive and better off we are. Now stop arguing over this matter again.

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Balance...
written by missbrunei , December 04, 2009

Its okay, as long as the parent took care both the national language and English as well.

As we all know, English Language is being used in Brunei Education system starting from pre-school level. The parent might just want to prepare the child. So that the child have a sound skill in English language.

As we all might realise, weakness in language can be a barrier in learning, well, atleast for most of us the non - native. But personally i think, to be good at other language (really2 good), u must also have a sound knowledge in ur own language.


And please dont be ashame of speaking english with brunei accent, it sounds good to me. We are Bruneian, we should speak like Bruneians.

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written by hys , December 04, 2009

Go post in hys melayu bah. It is obvious you post in wrong place. Others are laughing at you.

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written by maisara , December 04, 2009

so what to do? you what all bruneians to stop talking in english? IMPOSSIBLE....its a universal language for god sake.. get with it...

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written by mau-mau jua , December 05, 2009

if the poster posted in malay, mainly malay speakers will be reading the post, which is not the audience the poster intended the post to be. The poster wanted to highlight the point of english being widely used now in brunei. so the language used is correct. If you are to plead to others to speak more malay, would you prefer your audience be english readers or malay readers? think wisely.

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written by hijack , December 10, 2009

Please do not hijack HYS English section. Audience here is not comprised of Melayu only. And also if you write in Malay, many may not understand.

And worse, what impression are you giving the audience from outside Brunei. Please show some respect.

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