The BBC reports today on initiatives for Malay to be the second ASEAN language

Delegates at an annual Malay language congress in the Indonesian city of Makassar have launched a campaign for the adoption of Malay as the second official language of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).

Now what politically-correct boffins are behind this crazy initiative? "Malay" is spoken signiicantly differently in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei, the only significant areas in which it is used. Furthermore, there are so many variants already, and Malaysian and Indonesia at various times have tried to bring them together with a standard version, mainly for political and reasons to assert independence. In both cases Bahasa Melayu and the Indonesian language have failed to become the accepted lingo despite years of trying. In Indonesia Javanese still speak Javanese. Same for the great majority who speak the language of their fathers.. Try to chat in the manufactured Bahasa, and they look at you like.. very funny...

Additionally they are the only three countries of the ASEAN ten in which the lingo, apart from Singapore where it is a secondary language for the minority of Malays and for sentimental reasons still the lingua franca of the National Anthem, is used.

Spin of the day award to the Malay Language Congressand the BBC. It's a great language, but seriously this is just not sensible. We say - send it to the kecil rumah... oops sorry ... tandas...