KUALA LUMPUR: The proposed amendments to the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) Act 1959 to enable the enforcement of Bahasa Melayu as the national language is still being studied.
Senior Education Minister Datuk Dr Radzi Jidin said the ministry was still thoroughly and comprehensively studying the proposal to provide action against quarters who disrespected the national language.
"The study will also look into the implication of the implementation of the enforcement," he said in a brief parliamentary reply.
Radzi was responding to a question from Datuk Darell Leiking (Parti Warisan - Penampang) who asked Radzi to state whether the proposed amendment regarding to the enforcement of Bahasa Melayu will be applicable to Sabah and Sarawak.
DBP director-general Datuk Abang Sallehuddin Abang Shokeran was quoted in a report by Bernama saying the agency was amending the DBP Act 1959 to be tabled in Parliament as soon as possible.
The proposed amendment, he said, was to ensure that the use of Bahasa Melayu is enhanced and upheld as the national language.
Among the proposed amendments to the Act, said Abang Sallehuddin, was permission to take action against any party who deliberately insults the national language.