President Soesilo Bambang Yudhoyono's fondness for using English instead of Indonesian in his speeches at various national and international events has been highlighted by the media.
In several occasions such as the Asian Summit and the Non Aligned Movement conference, Yudhoyono entertained audiences with his fluency in English.
Law No 24/2009 stipulates that Indonesian was compulsory for the president, vice president and state officials in official speeches.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has broken his own rule by delivering official speeches in English, Constitutional Court chief Mahfud MD said on Thursday.
Mahfud pointed out that it was not only the Constitution that the President violated, but also his own decree.
"A 2008 presidential decree says that Indonesian should be spoken at international meetings," Mahfud said.
(Jakarta Post 26 May 2011).
Comment:
Surprised? Not at all. But in Malaysia, PM or other dignitaries have the freedom to speak their minds in English. Nobody seems to bother anymore, even though repeatedly they have been advised to speak Malay at official domestic functions. Never mind if their English is suspect. They must and will show that they are and must be seen eloquent. Forget the Malay language because it is only meant for the akar umbi in the kampungs and the "ceruk rantau." of the country. Or probably SBY of Indonesia wants to see Indonesian dignitaries speak English more often at any function. Come then, let's follow the Malaysian flavour.
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