These were among the basic Malay exchanges that home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said foreign footballers learnt before their citizenship interviews.
“Adequate knowledge is subjective. Typically, for this category, our practice is that we coach them before the interview: ‘Apa khabar?’ (How are you?), they answer ‘Khabar baik’ (I am well). ‘Terima kasih’ (Thank you), they answer, ‘Sama-sama’ (You are welcome). That is the current practice,” he said.
“It does not say fluent, nor does it require in-depth knowledge. It says adequate. If they understand, we pass them,” he added, according to the New Straits Times.
Saifuddin is defending the level of Malay required by law, but the controversy over the seven players goes well beyond a language test.
