KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 3 — The Education Ministry will set up a Bahasa Melayu Council which will be responsible for popularising and recognising the Bahasa Melayu Standard Framework (KSBM) within the country and overseas, the Senate was told today.

Its minister Dr Maszlee Malik said setting up the councils was one of the steps taken by the government within five years to empower Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) and give it a more pro-active role as a centre and institution of language in an advanced country.

"The DBP, Teachers’ Training Institute Bahasa Melayu campus, public universities and departments in the ministry are developing KSBM as a framework of reference to measure language competencies among native and non-native speakers,” he said.

Maszlee was replying to a question from Senator Dr Mohd Nor Monutty on the plans to revamp DBP to be on par with international institutions.

He said other steps include reviewing the DBP Act to give it a more pro-active role so that it could perform the roles of an international organisation.

He added that the role of the different departments in DBP would be restructured to give emphasis on internationalising its functions by opening up offices or branches in selected and strategic locations overseas to spread the Malay language and culture. — Bernama