Rep fears traditional language of Orang Ulu may be lost

Posted on June 17, 2011, Friday

REACHING OUT: Dennis (centre) with members of the UB-Mapim Dayak Forum main committee (from left) Mathais Kassap, Wan Zain, Edwin Jemat and Churchill Edward.

KUCHING: Telang Usan assemblyman Dennis Ngau said he feared traditional language of the Orang Ulu may be lost in the midst of modernisation and rapid pace of development.
He said his community is also facing the same dilemma as the Iban community is also struggling to make their language relevant and useful in modern society.
Dennis, who is also deputy president of Kayan Association Sarawak, said he did not rule out inter-marriage as one of the contributing factors to language deterioration.
He said other major contributors could be the young people’s preferred way of communicating with each other in their daily life – at school or at work.
“There will be a danger somewhere if we don’t curb it or wake up,” he said.
He cited the usage of Indonesian words or slangs in daily conversations as another big contributing factor, when responding to a recent statement by Malaysian Parents Consultative Movement (Mapim) Sarawak chief Wan Zain Syed Mohdzar that many local languages are now undermined by inter-marriages.
Dennis also said: “It is not only out dialects that are affected.”
“Our traditional dances and music are also affected,” he said citing the Sape music as an example.
He pointed out that the Kayan and Kenyah are very proud of the Sape (the guitar-like instrument) and its music.
“But probably out of ignorance, some have blended traditional music with modern tune and in the end, the younger generation will not know how the authentic traditional tune sound like.
“Its traditional essence or feature will be gone. This problem is also the same with our languages,” said the assemblyman.
He then commended Utusan Borneo (UB) Iban Section on its intention to collaborate with Mapim Sarawak to hold a Dayak Forum on the evolution of the Iban language tentatively in the middle of September.
The Dayak Forum, which will be on a series format starting this year with the Iban language, will make people realise how important it is to preserve languages and to develope it further, he said.
On a related note, Dennis said he would like to see more radio airtime for the Orang Ulu slot.
At the moment, the Kenyah language is being given prominence in the radio airtime.