German Man Laments Malaysians Tendency To Speak In English Than Bahasa Melayu

Michael Luebke is worried for Malaysians because he feels the locals are not defending their local identity, especially the national language.

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A German man, Michael Luebke, who married a Malaysian woman, Husna Hisan, said many Malaysians have forgotten to speak in their mother tongue. In this case, Luebke refers to Bahasa Melayu. Luebke and his family currently reside in Hamburg.

During an interview with Awani Pagi, Luebke said many locals tend to speak in English at home as compared to their national language.

He’s worried that some Malaysians are not upholding their culture and identity. He shared how language is not only important for communication but it shows the majesty of a civilisation.

@501awani
"Semakin ramai yang melupakan, dan cenderung untuk bertutur dalam Bahasa Inggeris di rumah, berbanding bahasa ibunda sendiri" Itu apa yang diluahkan seorang warga Jerman, Michael Luebke yang gusar dengan segelintir masyarakat Malaysia yang dilihat kurang menjunjung budaya dan identiti mereka. Menurut beliau selain bahasa merupakan wadah penting untuk komunikasi, ia menggambarkan keagungan dan keluhuran sesebuah tamadun. #AWANInews
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In the interview, Luebke pointed out that Malaysians used to defend their culture and language but not as much now.

This is one of the reasons why he emphasises the use of Bahasa Melayu in his household so that his four children do not forget their language and culture.

He and his wife also taught their children Malaysian customs and values such as respect and how Malaysia is a unique and harmonious country.

Luebke added that it was easy to learn Bahasa Melayu and has become fluent in it after speaking the language for years. He shared that it was interesting to learn Bahasa Melayu because some word pronunciations are similar to German.

While Luebke might mean well, some find his worry a bit disingenuous because many Malaysian women marry white foreigners (angmoh) and will have to converse in English. They said he isn’t any more Malay despite marrying a Malay woman.

The mission for Malaysians to master the national language is ongoing

The topic of mastering Bahasa Melayu has come up several times. One of the common points of argument is that Malaysians should be able to speak in basic Bahasa Melayu and there’s no need to be on “literature level.”

The call for Malaysians to master the national language has also led to extreme or insular views.

Some believe Malaysians should speak Bahasa Melayu a certain way or without their accents.

However, there’s also another end of the extreme. Some believe locals should shun learning English altogether since they view English as the language of colonists.

Too often, the focus is centered on mastering or knowing only one language. Not many have brought up the benefits of mastering both Bahasa Melayu and English and if possible, the other languages too.

Being able to converse in two or more languages reflects more of Malaysia’s multiracial identity. The ability to speak in more than one language is arguably also an important skill and will benefit Malaysians more.

With the goalpost always moving, the mission to encourage all Malaysians to speak the national language remains a long battle.