Bahasa Melayu vs. Bahasa Rojak: The Fight For Linguistic Purity
With the rise of Bahasa Rojak, many are questioning whether Bahasa Melayu is losing its unique identity amid foreign influences.
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Malaysians are showing growing concern over the purity and originality of Bahasa Melayu.
The recent discourse around the language was triggered by a Universiti Malaya (UM) congratulatory post on X (formerly known as Twitter).
UM posted a message that celebrated a student, Nurul Izzah Izzati’s achievements in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
However, the post showed that UM has a faculty named Fakulti Sukan dan Sains Eksesais which sparked negative remarks from Malaysians in the replies.
Sapa buat banner ni..mcm bodo je eksesais..
— Sofia (@sofmai02) August 11, 2024
Eksesais nie sama dengan korokodail ke?
— G-Gorgon (@shukrymohdnoor) August 14, 2024
Instead of opting for the word “senaman” (exercise), UM substituted “senaman” with a foreign-sounding alternative “eksesais”.
The word “senaman” is recognized by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP), the official authority on the Malay language, as the correct term for “exercise” in Bahasa Melayu.
It is a standard and official word used in government documents, educational materials, and formal communication.
This incident reflects a broader trend where Bahasa Melayu is increasingly influenced by foreign words, especially English.
Might as well use “Kongratulasi” instead of “tahniah”, no?
Another incident is the debate over the word “peluncuran“ versus “pelancaran“.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has been heard using the word “peluncuran” for “launching” however, according to the DBP website, the correct word for launch is “pelancaran”.
An example of the word “peluncuran” being used was when Anwar announced the Madani Economic Narrative in June.
“Kita cuba meluncurkan naratif ekonomi Madani ini menjelang Ogos 2023.”
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim
There is also a Tiktok posting that showed how “peluncuran” has a different meaning.
A check on Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia found that “peluncuran” in the Indonesian language is used for launching.
These examples are part of a larger issue where Bahasa Melayu is increasingly influenced by English loanwords, leading to a mixed language often called “Bahasa Rojak”.
The situation highlights the challenge of balancing the natural evolution of Bahasa Melayu with the need to preserve its original roots, as English and other languages continue to shape modern Malay.
While loanwords are common in many languages including BM, the act of phonetically spelling an English word for its BM equivalent borders on the ridiculous especially when the word already exists in Malay.
An example is the word “ekstrim” for “extreme”. Did you know “melampau” carries the same meaning? Or if you’re talking about extreme sports, the correct phrase is “sukan lasak” and not “sukan ekstrim”.
Apa perkataan BM lain yang berasal dari Bahasa Direk-Translasi : Incaj, Gostan, Skuasy … pic.twitter.com/WXfVYYp3CO
— Harith Iskander (@HarithIskander) April 1, 2020
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