KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 13 — Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) has appointed three social media influencers as language icons to assist the agency in promoting the use of proper language among the public.

DBP director-general Dr Hazami Jahari said among those appointed was Dr. Malar Santhi Santherasegapan, a doctor serving in the Emergency Department at Columbia Asia Hospital in Cheras, Selangor.

"The appointment of these icons shows that DBP wants to keep pace with current developments as language can no longer be disseminated in the traditional way.

"We have to move in a new way, but we also need to guide, train them (the public). Insya-Allah, if there is a need, we will also hold a special session with media friends to provide the fundamentals of proper language use, as the media has a strong influence on language development,” he said when met at the 2024 DBP Media Night at Wisma DBP here tonight.

Hazami said that with social media becoming a preferred means of communication, DBP was committed to actively utilising it to showcase examples of proper language use and quality content. — Bernama