Indonesian official language, bahasa indonesia, when translated to english, is not “bahasa”

It’s indonesian or indonesian language.

A lot of people (usually from europe or north america) made this mistake and insists on keep making it. Many think it’s a menial matter and it’s not important.

What a lot of people don’t know is, the term “Bahasa Indonesia” or “Indonesian Language” when translated to english; is first coined in a national indonesian youth congess held in 1928 as an effort to combat the erasure of our ethnic and national identities by european colonialists, and to promote unity amongst different indonesian ethnicities who were often being turned against one another, again by european colonialists.

The resulting declaration of the 1928 congress is now known as Youth Pledge, a historically recognized declaration that acts as a cornerstone of indonesia as an independent country, with the third stipulation clearly states in indonesian:

Kami putra dan putri Indonesia, menjunjung bahasa persatuan bahasa Indonesia

Or in english:

We the sons and daughter of Indonesia, respect the language of unity, Indonesian.

If it takes only a few extra syllables to be decent and respectful, might as well do it.