• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • RSS
  • Archives
  • Subscribe
The Nut Graph

The Nut Graph

Making Sense of Politics & Pop Culture

  • Projects
    • MP Watch
    • Found in Conversation
  • Current Issues
    • 6 Words
    • Commentary
    • Features
    • Found in Quotation
    • News
  • Columns
  • Interviews
    • Exclusives
    • Found in Malaysia
  • Multimedia
    • Audio
    • Pictures
    • Videos
  • Corrections
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Vault
    • Found in Translation

Court allows use of “keling” in dictionary

May 14, 2009

KUALA LUMPUR, 14 May 2009: The High Court here today ruled that the use of the word “keling” is allowed in the Kamus Dewan Third Edition as the word in the dictionary is for learning purposes.

Justice Lau Bee Lan who made the decision in chambers then dismissed the Selangor and Federal Territory Angkatan Pelapor India Muslim’s (Apim) appeal against the decision of High Court senior assistant registrar Nik Isfanie Tasmin Wan Abdul Rahman.

On 29 Dec 2006, Nik Isfahanie Tasnim allowed Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka’s (DBP) application to strike out an originating summons over the word “keling” filed by Apim.

DBP’s counsel, Md Radzi Mustafa, told reporters that Lau held that the use of word “keling” in the dictionary was not mala fide for any party and that DBP was only carrying out its statutory duty in including the word in its dictionary.

When asked whether the word “keling” is still being used in the fourth edition in the dictionary, he said it was still used but no examples were given.  

On 22 Dec 2005, Apim chairperson Ramli @ Mohd Othman Ravinthranath Abdullah filed an originating summons against DBP claiming that the word, “keling”, in its Kamus Dewan dictionary was an insult to the Indian community in Malaysia.

Among others, he wanted the word deleted from the dictionary.

DBP then applied to strike out the suit on the grounds that the word “keling” in the Kamus Dewan Third Edition was not meant to give the bad connotation of causing chaos, disturbing the peace, inciting hatred, animosity, riot, disharmony or disunity, as claimed by Apim.

In its affidavit in support, DBP Deputy Director-General Abu Bakar Mohamad claimed that Apim had no locus standi to bring the suit on behalf of the Indian Muslim community.

Counsel Priyadarshni Nair represented Apim. — Bernama

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)

Related Stories

Filed Under: News Tagged With: Apim, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, high court, Kamus Dewan, keling

Primary Sidebar

Search

Twitter

My Tweets

Recent Comments

  • Wave33 on The Nut Graph stops publication
  • Adam on The Nut Graph stops publication
  • PSTan on The Nut Graph stops publication
  • PSTan on The Nut Graph stops publication
  • Andre Lai on The Nut Graph stops publication

Recent News

  • The Nut Graph stops publication
  • Nasihat tentang sepupu yang mengganggu perasaan
  • Uncommon Sense with Wong Chin Huat: The Sunni-Shia split and the answer to Muslim unity
  • Why Malaysia needs the national unity bills
  • Challenging government in the digital age: Lessons from Kidex
  • Najib’s failure
  • Babi, anjing, pondan: Jijik orang Islam Malaysia
  • Kidex and the law – What the government’s not telling you
  • Beyond Dyana Sofya
  • Uncommon Sense with Wong Chin Huat: Does Malaysia need hate speech laws?

Tags

Abdullah Ahmad Badawi Anwar Ibrahim Barisan Nasional BN Bukit Selambau by-election dap Deborah Loh Ding Jo-Ann Election Commission elections Found in Malaysia Found in Quotation Gan Pei Ling government high court Hishammuddin Hussein ISA islam Jacqueline Ann Surin Khairy Jamaluddin KW Mak Lim Guan Eng Malaysia MCA Menteri Besar MP Watch Muhyiddin Yassin muslim Najib Razak Pakatan Rakyat Parliament Parti Keadilan Rakyat pas Penang Perak PKR police politics prime minister Selangor Shanon Shah Umno Wong Chin Huat Zedeck Siew

Footer

  • About The Nut Graph
  • Who Are We?
  • Our Contributors
  • Past Contributors
  • Guest Contributors
  • Editorial Policy
  • Comments & Columns
  • Copyright Policy
  • Web Accessibility Policy
  • Privacy Policy
The Nut Graph

© 2023 The Nut Graph