Last updated on January 1, 2019
One can choose from an endless list of causes to fight for. Anton Moedardo Moeliono, who passed away Monday in Jakarta, chose the Indonesian language.
Anton, 82, was known as an expert in the language and an ardent campaigner for what he called the correct and proper use of Indonesian.
The Bandung-born man was once the director of the Language Institute and the Indonesian Language Guiding Council.
He was a familiar sight on the television screen in the 1970s, with appearances on state-owned TVRI’s Siaran Pembinaan Bahasa Indonesia (The Cultivation of the Indonesian Language) broadcast.
Anton played a vital role in the country’s spelling reform and the making of the language’s improved spelling guide (EYD).
Anton’s effort to advocate for Indonesian was also channeled through a language column “Santun Bahasa” (proper language) published in Kompas from 1968 to 1971.
The Cornell University graduate led the Indonesian Language Center when Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia (Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language) was published in 1988.
He also edited Tata Bahasa Baku Bahasa Indonesia (Standard Grammar of Indonesian), which was published the same year.
According to kompas.com, Anton, whose list of sobriquets include “the walking dictionary”, was also involved in the establishment of Atmajaya University.
The public became familiar with his moves to replace foreign words with local ones, with some even labeling him a purist for that reason. But, Anton claimed he had nothing against foreign words, especially if they sounded better than their Indonesian counterparts.
Some of the words Anton advocated are used commonly now, words such as kudapan (as a replacement for “snack”) and tenggat (to replace “deadline”).
His role as an academician assisted the rise of several of the country’s noted linguists such Benny H. Hoed and Hasan Alwi.
Anton died in his home after undergoing intensive treatment at Medistra Hospital.
Tempointeraktif.com reported that Bambang Kaswanti Purwo, a linguist from Atmajaya University, wrote in an email in June that Anton was hospitalized after a heart attack and diabetes.
“I want Indonesians to be proud of their national language, and making sure Indonesian is used is one of the most effective ways to safeguard it,” Anton said in an interview with The Jakarta Post in 2009.
Resource: Dina Indra Safitri, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 07/27/2011