By: Muh. Hadi *)
Since January 1, 2016, formally regional free trade in ASEAN or the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) has been applied. Thus, everyone will be free to carry out their economic activities in the ASEAN region. And, many people will come to Indonesia to work or to carry out economic activities. Vice versa, the Indonesian will be free to work in other ASEAN countries.
However, weather we think how we can communicate with those strangers? Though there are many languages in the ASEAN community and there has been no mutual agreement to use one of these languages as ASEAN’s language. Maybe it’s time for Indonesia to make Indonesian as the ASEAN’s language.
Language experts from the State University of Surabaya (Unesa), Dr Suhartono, S.Pd., M.Pd., on January 7, 2016 said that there are at least four things that could support the Indonesian so that it can be a language of ASEAN. Four of these factors are Indonesian has been studied in many countries, Indonesian easy to master, the rate of development is fantastic, and there are some similar vocabulary among Indonesian and the language of the ASEAN countries.
He exemplifies the vocabulary of “candra” in Cambodia and Indonesia, which mean the moon, or a bum or land in Thailand in Indonesia similar to the word for “bumi” or ground.
In addition, the number of Indonesian users in Indonesia has reached 60% user Indonesian in ASEAN. Its means, the number of users is quite a lot. Therefore, the presence of a number of the supporting factors, it is very possible for Indonesian to be the language of ASEAN.
Success in implementing the MEA is actually not only be realized through economic aspect. Success in implementing MEAs should also be supported by other aspects, social and cultural aspects in particular the use of language. As for the real implementation of the utilization of the social and cultural aspects in the success of the MEA is to apply the Indonesian as a language of communication in the MEA.
Surely this is not an easy matter for the Indonesia’s government to make Indonesian as the language of ASEAN. Because, besides Indonesian, there are another languages that is also quite dominant in ASEAN such as Malay. Diplomacy is one way to make it happen. In addition, we are also able to support it with no shame in using Indonesian when interacting with foreign parties.
So, in addition to focusing on economic competition, we also need to preserve our native language. Do not let the glory of the Indonesian economy does not matched by the triumph of the social and cultural aspects of Indonesia. And lest Indonesian will only be history only.
*) CIDISS Contributor
