BANGKOK: The Thai Global Business Administration Technological College (TGBC) in Thailand yesterday established the Dato' Sri Ismail Sabri Yaakob chair to empower Bahasa Melayu in the region.

The office of the former prime minister said the establishment of the chair was announced by TGBC chairman Dr Prattana Srisuk at an event here yesterday.

"The chair is especially to introduce and promote the usage of Bahasa Melayu and as well as Malay Civilisation as a course at the college," Dr Prattana said in a statement.

It is said that the chair is the first in an institute of higher learning in Thailand dedicated to the study and research of the Malay civilisation and Bahasa Melayu language.

Meanwhile, Ismail Sabri thanked TGBC for recognising the efforts to dignify Bahasa Melayu in the region.

He hoped the chair would raise the mastery of the language in Thailand.

"The Malay language has about 300 million speakers in the Southeast Asian region," he added.

-- BERNAMA