The Malay language has undergone multiple changes throughout its life. As the language evolves, it enhances intergenerational difference. Different generation would subscribe to their version of the language, if they do not particularly follow development in the language closely.
Zaid Ibrahim is an example of a person who still uses an outdated spelling of Malay. In this latest posting entitled Orang Kelantan Mudah Di Pujok?:
Keputusan pilihanraya Manik Urai menunjokan bahawa tidak semua pengundi membuat pilihan berdasarkan isu yang penting dan mustahak. Semasa berkempen disana saya memberi tumpuan pada hal royalti minyak Saya ingat inilah isu yang sepatut nya diketahui rakyat Kelantan. Tapi malang nya keputusan tidak sebagitu. Inilah yang mengecewakan. Pada saya isu Kerajaan Pusat menafikan hak royalti minyak kapada Kelantan sepatut nya menjadi isu yang menyatukan hati orang Kelantan.Sepatut nya BN di hukum olih rakyat Kelantan kerana tidak memberitahu mereka perkara yang benar. BN patut dihukum kerana BN berdiam diri dan sengaja tidak mahu rakyat Kelantan mendapat hak mereka sebanyak RM 1 billion. Agak nya BN sanggup berbuat demikian kerana mereka tahu memadailah kapada orang Manik Urai kalau jambatan 7 juta ringgit dijanjikan atau wang 1000 Ringgit diberi kapada pengundi pengundi terpilih. [Orang Kelantan Mudah Di Pujok? Zaid Ibrahim. July 26 2009]
When I was younger as I took my instruction in Malay, ‘menunjokan‘ (to show) was spelled ‘menunjukan’ ‘menunjukkan’ and ‘pujok‘ (placate) was spelled ‘pujuk’. I am confident that the latest authorative Malay dictionary will prove that my version of Malay spelling remains the most current one.
The ‘o’ does not seem to be a mistake on Zaid Ibrahim’s part because he consistently places ‘o’ where ‘u’ should have taken its rightful place in the latest spelling method.
On Twitter, he spells ‘suruhanjaya’ as ‘surohanjaya’.
Satu Lagi Surohanjaya?: Kata Dr Mahathir orang Melayu mudah lupa; saya pula kata orang Malaysia juga mudah lupa… [myzaidibrahim. Zaid Ibrahim. July 23 2009]
I do not particular know when this kind of spelling was last used but I would risk guessing the 1970s.
I am sure some of my 1990s Malay has been rendered outdated by linguists who seem to have no other work but to torture the users of the language. For instance, I would spell ‘baharu’ as ‘baru’.
Why the change happened is beyond me. What certain is that baharu is not as economical as baru.
Perhaps, I am just old. But not as old as Zaid Ibrahim.
3 replies on “[2043] Of Zaid Ibrahim’s Malay is amusingly quaint”
yea, double k’s. that’s my mistake.
Bakri Musa is another such writer — his Malay is oftentimes hilariously quaint. I didn’t know “baru” is now “baharu” — that pisses me off. I always thought of “baharu” as the anachronism when I was in school. I also thought it was “menunjukkan,” with two k’s. Oh, and I can’t have been the only student to have been pissed off by the ever-changing spelling of keretapi/kereta api.
Also, I wonder what it says about us that we used to spell “Isnin” as “Ithnin”… :p
Some purposely do so, because they just have penchant for classic or vintage style writing