English or Malay? I can't do both.

One of my blogger friends urges me to write in English. Indeed, English, like Greek in ancient, is the language of  intellects. But I love my mother's tongue. Yet I found out some of my readers actually English-speaking people too. 

I always believe, whatever the perception about Bahasa Melayu, that bahasa Melayu can conveys  intelligents message to my readers as well can be intellectually presentable. With correct story, and presentation, not all malay blogs are rubbish. As I said maybe some of us might think most of  Malay blogs write nonsense. But that is a mere perception.

And again, perception always rules better than reality.

One of the reasons why Sri Tri Buana should remains in bahasa Melayu is its name. Sri Tri Buana is too much malay name. Name of a legendary king who renamed Temasik as Singapura. And since my childhood, I always bury deep in Malay heritages and cultures.

I feel like Mingke in Pramoedya's magnum opus, Bumi Manusia. Mingke's mother in law i.e. Nyai Ontosoroh encourages him to write in Malay instead of Dutch. As an aristocrat's stock, Mingke being trained in Dutch school, well versed in Dutch, English and most of European languages, he lowly regards Bahasa Melayu.

In the end, he makes his name in the language he despise most. As Mingke in Bumi Manusia was a fictional name of Raden Mas Tirto Adisoejo, who was the father of Indonesia's journalist. Raden Mas Tirto Adisoejo also a founder of Syarikat Dagang Islamiyah, and the first native who owned Malay newspaper.

"Mama minta aku menulis dalam Melayu. Apa yang boleh kuharap dari bahasa yang miskin itu? Bahkan mereka memanggil supir pun 'Man"."

-Mingke in Bumi Manusia.