Malaysian Teacher Raises Alarm: Indonesian Slang Infiltrating Students' Malay Essays

KUALA LUMPUR – A Malaysian teacher, identified as Azizan, has voiced her concern regarding the increasing use of Indonesian vocabulary in her students' Malay language essays. In a recent video, Azizan highlighted specific words such as "berencana" (to plan), "rumah sakit" (hospital), and "teman-teman" (friends), which are commonly found in Indonesian, but are being incorrectly incorporated into Malay compositions. "Students are using words like 'berencana,' 'rumah sakit,' and 'teman-teman' in their essays," Azizan stated, appearing visibly frustrated while reviewing student papers. She clarified that while "teman" does exist in Malay, the more appropriate terms for "friends" in a formal context would be "kawan" or "rakan-rakan." The teacher attributes this linguistic shift to children's exposure to Indonesian online content. She urged parents to actively monitor the digital media their children consume. "What they watch, that's what they write," she emphasized, underscoring the direct correlation between media consumption and language acquisition among young learners. The issue raises questions about the preservation of the Malay language and the impact of cross-cultural digital content on educational standards.

TRP

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