As the year 2023 comes to an end, many will be thinking about their New Year’s resolution. Some may be planning to reduce their weight, to lead a healthier lifestyle, while others promise to meet some financial strategy yet to be fulfilled.

One issue that we may not think much is “what level is my Bahasa Malaysia” and how much do I value such an item of “obscure importance”.

This issue has come up recently in an incident whereby it was alleged that a Malaysian immigration officer (I assume a Malay) asked a Malaysian citizen to speak in Bahasa Malaysia during a passport renewal process.

When the applicant told the officer she could not speak Bahasa at all because she had been living in Singapore for many years, the officer was said to have scolded her for not being able to do so.

Now, I do not know in what manner was this “scolding” action was said to happen, but I would say that, if true, this is certainly conduct unbecoming of a civil servant to the people of Malaysia.

But as it is, I have no information about such thing. What is certain is that to have one’s passport renewed, the ability to speak Bahasa Malaysia is not a requirement.

Nevertheless, any counter service in the government of Malaysia must be in Bahasa Malaysia for all Malaysians, no two ways about It!

As usual, netizens, especially those from one particular news portal, now have a free-for-all wonderful time condemning the minister in charge, Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution when he affirmed that Malaysians must use Bahasa Malaysia in dealing at any counter service.

A passable rojak BM is acceptable, so long as one can communicate. If a Bangladeshi worker at a mamak stall can take our orders of teh tarik and nasi goreng ayam kicap very well after just a few months working here, I wonder what excuse would any Malaysian give for not having a rudimentary language of the country he or she was born in.

This shows that perhaps Umno was right all along that non-Malays treat BM as a kind of pariah language.

The choice of many to send their children to vernacular schools has also been accused of estranging the race relations in this country.

I have always maintained that it is OK for schools to teach justice, goodness, critical thinking and compassion in any language, but one must “master” BM to a certain degree.

I will elucidate a few anecdotes at the private university where I work in order to show that BM is not considered important at all or has very little worth to most non-Malays.

In any interview of academic post, I will always test the BM proficiency of any non-Malay candidate. There are a few who are able to answer in acceptable BM, but there are also those who answer in English, not trusting their BM level.

I have never marked down any candidate as it is understood that the promotion is for their abilities to perform research, administration and publication, all in English, anyway!

When the candidates asked me why I had “ambushed” them in BM, I simply smiled and said that in Malaysia, when you become Dean or Vice Chancellor, you will have to deal with clerks, officers and top management at the ministry level in Bahasa Malaysia.

I added that you must not only know how to speak the language in a formal manner, you also need to understand the adab or mannerism of the Malay culture.

I told these candidates an anecdote where a Chinese Dean was explaining to an MQA officer saying “Kalau awak bagi tahu saya pasal ini borang then saya pun akan isi this form dan bagi pada awak.”

The use of the word “awak” to another person who is not a friend or family member is considered disrespectful. It should have been “maaf, kalau tuan/puan beri tahu saya tentang borang ini, saya akan isikan dan pulangkan kepada tuan/puan”.

The word “maaf” is also part of the ensemble of the Malay etiquette even though one has not done anything wrong.

We come now to the question of why Malaysians are exceptionally “brutal” and “kurang adab” to the minister.

The Home Affairs Minister has just held this portfolio for one year. Malaysians should understand three important things about management, culture and line of responsibilities.

Firstly, a minister would never talk down against any of the civil servant simply because the minister is a political appointment while the immigration officers are the responsibility of the Ketua Setiausaha Kementerian.

Complaints about any civil servant must go through to the KSK for it is he or she that is responsible for hiring, firing and promotion.

Ministers like Saifuddin may disagree on the manner of an immigration officer or the policy of hiring people who are not fluent in two languages and he can change that by making a new policy that would affect future hiring, promotion and firing staff.

New ministers must never make drastic changes to any ministry until they understand the culture and practices of the civil servants as well as comprehend the backgrounds of why things are the way they are.

I would assume that any of us who could be appointed in Saifuddin’s shoes will probably take a year or two to settle in and then only make strategic changes with care and cultural decorum.

The civil service is not like a private corporation where the new owner or CEO can fire and hire at their own whims and fancies.

I have been observing, speaking, reflecting and writing politics of nation-building for 24 years now.

I once thought that it was the Malays who were mainly at fault for many things in this country. But after one year of the Unity Government rule and two years of PH rule, I begin to think that Malaysians with the power of the internet and anonymity given by certain media portals for government bashing may also be equal in fault to the Malay supremacists that were once within Umno.

But now, I see Islam as a religion being weaponised by PAS and Bersatu, race being radicalised by the same two parties and Malaysians who phrased their opinions in a most sickening and disgusting manner without thought on their own faith and spirituality are the three combo that will destroy this nation.

It does not help that we also have a popular news portal which seems to sell “negative comments in a derogatory manner” as a marketing tool for self advancement.

Perhaps in the coming year, Anwar and the Unity Government are not what Malaysians need. Perhaps we Malaysians need a full 5-year dose of Sheraton Movers to perhaps teach us some lessons in spiritual and nation humility.

(Prof Dr. Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi is Professor of Architecture at a local university and his writing reflects his own personal opinion entirely.)