By Asmahanim Amir
Pix Abdul Raai Osman

BANGI, 7 June 2016 – The National University of Malaysia (UKM) will establish a Centre for the Promotion of Malay Language to ensure that it be used as an academic language.

Vice Chancellor, Prof Datuk Dr Noor Azlan Ghazali said the Senate decided to establish the centre which will be responsible for ensuring that the mandate given to UKM will continue to be strengthened.

 “In the challenging world, this centre will be responsible for ensuring UKM upholds the academic language and I hope this centre will be a model for other universities which may establish similar centres,” he said to reporters after the Opening of  the UKM Library Discussion Rooms and singing of a  Memorandum of Understanding between UKM and Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP), here on May 12.

Nevertheless, he gave assurances that the setting up of the centre doesn’t mean other languages would be sidelined.

UKM may be the first university to have such a facility and setting it up was a landmark decision, he explained.

“If we don’t establish this centre, I fear the national language will be marginalised,” he said.

The MoU UKM signed with DBP was  for cooperation through information exchange.

Director-General of DBP, Abdul Adzis Abas said the MoU is not only for cooperation but to add to existing knowledge and experience on both sides.

“So far we don’t have partnerships with other universities. UKM is the first university. This cooperation started with the visit by UKM to the  Centre of Malay Documentation at DBP and from then we discussed strategic collaboration together,” he said.

He said the MoU is a sound commitment to work across various fields, including education and research, the development of related collections of Malay language and civilization, publishing, promotion and marketing of publishing products and expertise, training and information exchange.

At the ceremony, the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka Database of Index (IDBP) was also launched with 22 titles produced by writers and lecturers of UKM that are published by DBP.

Besides that, the Vice Chancellor also launched the Tun Sri Lanang Library (PTSL) Discussion Room which was upgraded in stages beginning March 2015.

A total of 27 discussion have been renovated and funds for the refurbishment were contributed by 13 individuals, eight groups and four companies.

One of the discussion rooms being upgraded was named the Ayob Sampul room, after the grandfather of Prof Dr Noor Azlan in recognition of her service in educating young people some time ago.