SHAH ALAM – Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook said the first priority in improving Malay writing and speaking skills is to increase the number of reading resources in the language.
He said this was because reading would help people to improve their vocabulary and grammar, and also expose them to different styles of writing.
"From primary to secondary school, one of my favourite subjects was Bahasa Melayu, which made me to read and speak a lot.
"I used to read Dewan Masyarakat, which was published by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka. It was a great way to improve my Malay language skills," he said.
Loke, who is also the Seremban MP, said he has never objected to any program or policy that empowers the Malay language, as he believes in the values of the Federal Constitution.
He said another way to improve Malay language skills is to listen to the news.
"I listen to the 8pm and 10pm news, but the world news is my favourite," he said.
"While in Form One, every night I would listen to the world news because there was a Gulf War between Iraq and Kuwait at the time," he added.
Loke said listening to the news helps people to improve their listening comprehension skills, and also exposes them to different accents and dialects of the Malay language.