NBC to broadcast Bahasa Indonesia

BAHASA Indonesia lessons will be aired on National Broadcasting Corperation starting July 5.
This follows an agreement between the Indonesian Embassy and NBC last week in a bid to improve communication between Papua New Guineans and those that speak Bahasa.
Indonesian embassy’s education and cultural attaché Dr Ir Sedercor Melatunan said Bahasa Indonesia was recognised as one of the official language in the Asian countries and had also been taught in certain western countries.
He said it was vital that Papua New Guineans have knowledge of it.
Melatunan said some of the countries that spoke Bahasa include, Malaysia (Bahasa Malay), Singapore and the Philippines.
The show will go on air every Monday where two Indonesians academics who teach Bahasa  – Dr Ben Sahusi Lawane and Dr Shelly Pattipeiluhu will impart it.
He said Dr Lawane was assigned by the Indonesian government to teach Bahasa Indonesia at the University of Papua New Guinea.
The programme will be broadcasted live in Malolo show every Monday afternoon and would be replayed in the night.
Although few schools in PNG are teaching it, the Embassy of Indonesia thought teaching it through NBC would increase the number of learners as the station reaches all 22 provinces.
Dr Melatunan said Indonesian and PNG were neighbours sharing land boundaries and it was vital for Bahasa to be learnt to improve communication and to strengthen the relationship between the two countries