The Malay language has to regain the trust of the people as a language of knowledge in order to remain relevant, in line with the constant introduction of new words in various fields including economics, politics, law as well as technology, said Education Minister Maszlee Malik.

He said all parties should continue to play a role in cultivating and elevating the Malay language to the international level.

The Malay language should always stay relevant, continuously evolving to meet the challenges, he said.

“Let's expand the efforts to elevate the official language of the country,” he said in his opening speech at the Prime Minister’s Cup Malay Language International Speech Competition 2019 at the Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris Education (UPSI)’s Sultan Azlan Shah Proton City Campus, Tanjung Nalim, last night.

Also present were his deputy Teo Nie Ching, UPSI vice-chancellor Mohammad Shatar Sabran and state Education, Technology, Science and Environment Committee chairperson Abdul Aziz Bari.

Earlier, Mohammad Shatar in his speech said that Malay language should be recognised not only in the Asean region but also in every corner of the globe including Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the United States.

Three categories were contested in the Prime Minister’s Cup Malay Language International Speech Competition 2019, namely, the ‘Alam Melayu’ (for five Asean member countries where the Malay language is widely used), International Student in Malaysia and the International categories.

Amirul Iqmal Razlan from the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) was named as the winner of the ‘Alam Melayu’ category; while the International student category won by Moustapha Koutoub Sano from Guinea, who is also IIUM student; and Qurbanov Ozad Nurmuhammad Ugli from the Uzbekistan State University of World Languages, bagged home the International category award.

The winner of each category received RM10,000, a trophy and a certificate.

- Bernama