Bil. 3/2018

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Martabatkan bahasa Melayu ke peringkat antarabangsa

TENGKU ABDULLAH berkenan mencemar duli melawat pameran diraja pada Majlis Titah Diraja di DBP.

KUALA LUMPUR: Salah satu perkara penting dalam Wasiat Raja-raja Melayu yang dibuat semasa merdeka pada tanggal 31 Ogos 1957 ialah menetapkan bahasa Melayu sebagai bahasa kebangsaan, sekali gus diangkat sebagai bahasa rasmi untuk pendidikan dan mentadbir negara.

Pemangku Raja Pahang, Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, bertitah teras maruah bangsa Malaysia terletak pada bahasa Melayu yang dinobatkan sebagai bahasa rasmi negara untuk memupuk rasa kekitaan dan rupa bangsa yang bersatu.

Namun titah baginda, walaupun pemantapan bahasa Melayu sebagai bahasa kebangsaan berada pada tahap yang baik, penerimaan masyarakat secara keseluruhan belum berada pada tahap sepatutnya.

"Perluasan fungsinya belum terjamin untuk dilestarikan secara tuntas. Keadaan ini disebabkan landasan bahasa Inggeris secara global memberi kesan terhadap bahasa kebangsaan di negara ini," titah baginda pada Majlis Titah Diraja di Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) di sini.

Yang turut hadir, Ketua Pengarah DBP, Datuk Abdul Adzis Abas dan Ketua Polis Negara, Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun.

Baginda bertitah, persoalan mendaulatkan bahasa Melayu bukan sebab penyatuan, perpaduan atau ketaksuban terhadap kegemilangan masa lampau semata-mata, tetapi pembentukan jati diri sebagai benteng paling ampuh menangani arus deras dunia tanpa sempadan.

Globalisasi yang melanda sejak awal abad ke-16 memberi kesan kepada bahasa Melayu dari segi peristilahan yang diubah, dicorak dan diperkaya tetapi tetap mengekalkan jati asalnya. Ini menunjukkan bahasa Melayu dinamik dan mudah dilentur sesuai peredaran zaman.

‘ Integriti Menjana Kecemerlangan & Jati Diri ’

Martabat peringkat antarabangsa

Sementara itu, pada masa ini jumlah penutur bahasa Melayu dalam pelbagai dialek di seluruh pelosok dunia mencecah 300 juta orang, menjadikan bahasa Melayu termasuk dalam tujuh bahasa besar di dunia, selain bahasa Russia, Arab, Sepanyol, Hindi, Inggeris dan Mandarin.Kebanyakan penutur berasal daripada rumpun Melayu, selain terdapat diaspora yang membentuk komuniti Melayu seperti di Afrika Selatan, Sri Lanka, Amerika Syarikat (AS), Australia, United Kingdom (UK) dan Arab Saudi.

Bagaimanapun, penguasaan bahasa Melayu dalam kalangan rumpun Melayu sahaja tidak mampu mengangkat martabat bahasa itu menjadi bahasa antarabangsa.Tengku Abdullah bertitah, usaha memartabatkan bahasa Melayu pada peringkat antarabangsa perlu mengambil kira potensi bangsa lain yang berpeluang menguasai bahasa Melayu.Baginda menyarankan, Kursi Pengajian Melayu dan Pengajian Bahasa Melayu di beberapa universiti terkemuka dunia seperti Universiti Leiden, Universiti Ohio, Universiti Wellington, Universiti Beijing dan Universiti Hankuk, diperkukuh untuk pengantarabangsaan bahasa Melayu."Jumlah pelajar asing di negara kita dianggarkan 60,000 orang. Kehadiran mereka di universiti awam (UA) dan swasta boleh membantu pengembangan bahasa Melayu menerusi dasar kerajaan yang mewajibkan mereka mengambil kursus bahasa Melayu," titah baginda.

Bahasa Melayu, tulisan Jawi

Baginda bertitah, Akta Bahasa Kebangsaan 1963/67 yang memperuntukkan penggunaan bahasa kebangsaan di mahkamah, penggubahan statut undang-undang, memberi pengiktirafan hanya di atas kertas kerana dari segi pelaksanaannya tidak menyeluruh.Justeru, penegasan dasar bahasa dalam perancangan dan pengurusan pendidikan negara perlu dilaksanakan sejajar pengisytiharan negara bahawa bahasa Melayu sebagai bahasa kebangsaan.Tengku Abdullah bertitah, keunikan bahasa Melayu yang memiliki dua jenis tulisan, iaitu Jawi dan rumi juga membentuk jati diri khususnya masyarakat Melayu Islam di negara ini, justeru, tulisan Jawi perlu diperkasakan semula.

Titah baginda, 10,000 naskhah manuskrip Melayu klasik dalam pelbagai bidang termasuk sains, teknologi, perubatan dan maritim yang disimpan dalam dan luar negara yang ditulis dalam tulisan Jawi menolak dakwaan bahasa Melayu tidak sesuai digunakan dalam bidang sains serta matematik."Semasa negara kita dijajah, tulisan Jawi masih terus digunakan dalam urusan dengan bangsa asing. Suka atau tidak, mereka terpaksa mempelajari tulisan Jawi."Oleh itu, beta menyeru semua rakyat menggunakan tulisan jawi dalam konteks yang lebih luas," titah baginda.

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Berita Harian30 April 2018

Bil. 3/2018

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Don't let stress beat you

The most common mistake in beating stress is to ignore the problem and hope that it will fade away

sooner or later. 

STRESS is inevitable as we face the ups and downs in our lives. From the excitement of moving into a new house to the anxious feeling of not being able to meet deadlines, stress is normal and part and parcel of our daily activities.

It can be positive and can help us to stay alert and focused. On the other hand, it can harm us physically, if we are stressed for too long or too often.

Studies show that our body is physiologically designed to deal or cope with stress and react to it. The nervous system will prompt our body to release stress hormones like adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol, and produce the fight-or-flight response when we are under pressure.

However, when we are stressed, we tend to be less logical and will be prone to making mistakes.

The following are 10 mistakes to avoid when dealing with stress:

Mistake No.1 – Skipping breaks

When having a workload to clear, some people tend to skip lunch or tea breaks (or even going to the loo), thinking that that’s only possible after the work is finished.

However, studies show that having a break while finishing a task can help refresh your mind and restore your resolve. It will make you look forward to be back on track with a clear mind and finish the task more effectively.

Mistake No.2 – Craving and binge-eating

Stressed spelled backwards is desserts! It is normal for some people to turn to desserts or comfort food when they feel down and blue.

‘ Integriti Menjana Kecemerlangan & Jati Diri ’

However, instead of having just a slice of cake, an ice-cream, chocolates or a greasy, fatty dish (who eat healthy food when they feel the blues anyway?), people tend to go for second helpings or adding unnecessary toppings or side-dishes, thinking that they will calm them down or make them feel better.

Binge-eating may make you feel better momentarily but continuing the habit every time you are under pressure is likely to stress you out even more when you step on your weighing scale later on.

Studies show that giving in to cravings is just a temporary solution and is counterproductive in the long run.

Mistake No.3 – Avoiding exercise and fun activities

Stress can make people withdraw themselves from doing anything they love — like watching a feel-good movie or exercise.

Rather than enjoying outside, they prefer to stay in bed and sulk, and hope to deal with the problem later.

However, what they fail to realise is that doing just that will only bring on negative emotions.

Activities such as watching a good movie or playing sports stimulate positive emotions and will make you feel good about yourself, especially when you do them with friends.

But try not to watch violent or sad movies (or read depressing news) when you are stressed out. Research in Scandinavia shows that watching, hearing or reading negative news promotes anxiety and brings on depression.

Try not to over-exercise too, as that will lead to exhaustion and create more stress.

Mistake No.4 – Spreading stress to other people

Frustration by a situation or when they are in a bad mood, some people will vent their anger to other people, be it their colleagues, spouses or children.

Spreading such negativity will definitely bring more harm than good. Mistake No.5 – Focusing too much on stress

Studies show that focusing on stressful thoughts actually aggravates the situation. Scientists say that “focusing on stressful thoughts is like rehearsing them”.

Mistake No.6 – Taking stress as a bad thing

Too much stress can put our mental and physical at risk of various illness and health complications. But stress is not all bad after all. In 1974, a physician and scientist from McGill University introduced the concept of positive or good stress called “eustress” in which you can actually perceive and turn a stressful situation into an opportunity that will result in a positive outcome.

“Eustress” is a positive reaction that motivates and lets you stay in

control to deal with a challenge or accomplish a task. It can lead to good things including feelings of satisfaction.

Mistake No.7 – Not getting enough sleep

There are people who think that the best way to beat stress is to “sleep on it”. Some, however, skip sleeping totally, keeping their mind obsessed and occupied and hope to resolve the problem when morning comes.

Unfortunately, not getting enough sleep will backfire and affect your mood the next day. According to a research, lack of sleep will even lead to mental illness.

To conclude, always learn to manage your stress levels well for a healthy and happy life. As American author and motivational speaker Lou Holtz says, “It's not the load that breaks you down, it's the way you carry it.”

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NST24 April 2018