NATIONAL LANGUAGE WEEK OR MONTH

Inche Mohd. Ali Bin Alwi asked the Minister for Culture whether he will hold a National Language Week or Month.

Mr S. Rajaratnam: Mr Speaker, Sir, we have a number of schemes to popularise and teach the National Language, and the holding of a Language Week is one of them. The Head of the Dewan Bahasa dan Kebudayaan Kebangsaan is working on a scheme to make people more conscious of the need to learn the National Language. In the middle of this year, we will be introducing Suara Singapura, which will be held to stimulate interest in the understanding of the National Language. However, I cannot indicate at the moment what form the Language Week will take, because we must take into consideration the special conditions in Singapore. Singapore is largely a non-Malay speaking territory and so a campaign of this kind, while stimulating the people to use the national language, should not cause undue inconvenience to administration and business. Furthermore, the campaign must be planned in such a way as to make it easy and practical for non-Malay speaking citizens as well to participate in it effectively. In fact, the effectiveness and usefulness of such a campaign would be lost if it is of so ambitious and complex a nature that the majority of the people cannot participate in it, not because they do not want to but because it demands things beyond their capacity.

Inche Mohd. Ali Bin Alwi: (In Malay): Mr Speaker, Sir, could the Minister concerned state definitely when a National Language Week or Month will be held this year?

Mr Rajaratnam: Mr Speaker, Sir, I have said earlier that I cannot indicate at the moment when and in what form the National Language Week would take, but we are working on it and as soon as the necessary arrangements are made, we will publicise the fact.

Inche Mohd. Ali Bin Alwi: (In Malay): Could the Minister not even give a slight indication as to whether it is possible to hold the National Language Week some time this year?

Mr Rajaratnam: Mr Speaker, Sir, when this Government makes a promise, it keeps its promise. Therefore, I would not like to give any specific date, but we shall certainly try to do something along these lines during the course of this year.