KUCHING: It is "silly and stupid" to enforce the use of Bahasa Malaysia in the civil service with punitive measures, says Sarawak Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah (pic).

       He said civil servants should not be penalised for speaking English as the language was used worldwide for business and communication.

       He also noted that English was the second official language in Sarawak after Bahasa Malaysia.

       "It is widely used by civil servants and in the state legislative assembly," he said on Wednesday (June 1) responding to the call by Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali for the Public Service Department (JPA) to consider punitive measures to enforce the use of Bahasa Malaysia in the civil service.

       Others have also criticised the proposal, including former international trade and industry minister Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz and the G25 group of eminent Malays.

       Karim added that civil servants should be encouraged to speak good English.

       "Being proficient in English does not make one less Malaysian or less Malay," he said.

       Zuki had on May 24 said that he hoped the JPA could consider actions that could be taken against those who did not take seriously the instructions related to the use of Bahasa Malaysia in the civil service.

       He said such punitive action was not intended to intimidate but to ensure that Bahasa Malaysia as the national language was not used arbitrarily.