KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 14 — Children should be tested on their fluency in Bahasa Malaysia and knowledge of the Malay rulers before they are issued with MyKad identity cards, the Seputeh Umno Youth branch has suggested.

Its chief, Mohd Razlan Muhammad Rafii, said the proposal may appear strict but insisted that it is an effective way to preserve Malay as the national language as well as the language that unites the different races.

“It is quite strange that a lot of Malaysians are not fluent in Malay.

“Malaysians do not have a choice as the Malay language is in our blood,” he said in a statement, published by Utusan Malaysia today.

“Malaysians regardless of Malay, Chinese or Indian should object to the suggestion to make the English language as the language of unity like in Singapore.”

He further said it was important for the younger generation to understand the position of the Malay rulers as the heads of the country.

Fluency in Bahasa Malaysia is a frequent point of contention between vernacular school supporters and proponents of a unified school system using the national language.

Critics of vernacular schools regularly point to the alleged lack of fluency in Bahasa Malaysia among the system’s students as an obstacle towards nation building.

The weak grasp of the national language among some sections of the non-Malay community is also regularly used by nationalists to question the groups’ patriotism and loyalty to the country.

Malaysians are required by law to apply for the MyKad upon reaching the age of 12. It is a vital identity document required for virtually all official and commercial transactions.

Currently, the only requirement for the application of a MyKad is a valid Malaysian birth certificate, or a passport if the applicant is a non-citizen, according to the National Registration Department of Malaysia’s web site.