The Governor of Bali Province, I Wayan Koster, urges collective action to preserve the Balinese language and script as a symbol of cultural identity by including Balinese script in public spaces as well as local products.
Koster has reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening the implementation of Bali Governor Regulation No. 80 of 2018 on the Protection and Use of the Balinese Language, Script and Literature. The statement was delivered at the opening of the 8th Balinese Language Month 2026 at the Ksirarnawa Building, Denpasar Cultural Park, on Sunday, the 1st of February.
“I will push for a collective movement to ensure that Balinese script appears in all spaces. If possible, use Balinese script without the Latin alphabet — that would be great,” the Governor said.
The move comes amid concerns over the inconsistent use of Balinese script in public spaces, where it is often treated merely as a formality rather than becoming an established habit. As such, Koster aims to build collective awareness so that Balinese script is used in a disciplined, consistent and widespread manner across all sectors, including government institutions, businesses and local products.
Koster also emphasised that Balinese script is a vital cultural element whose sustainability must be safeguarded. He cited countries such as Japan, South Korea, China and Thailand as examples of nations that have successfully preserved their traditional scripts as symbols of civilisation.
“It has been proven that countries with their own scripts, and that are able to preserve them, have strong civilisations and become developed nations,” he continued.
On top of that, Koster urged regency and city governments, down to the village level, to establish forums related to Balinese script education in schools. He stressed that rapid technological development should not come at the expense of Balinese culture and local wisdom.
“Head of the Education Office, please continue to intensify the use of Balinese script keyboards, down to junior high and elementary schools, so that keyboards fully utilising Balinese script are consistently used,” he added.
Additionally, to expand the regulation’s implementation, Koster instructed the Bali Industry and Trade Office to mandate the use of Balinese script on all local products. He also did not hesitate to reprimand businesses, including hotels, that fail to comply with the regulation.
“All local Balinese products are required to use Balinese script. If they do not, they should not be marketed. I [would] even visit hotels and reprimand them if they do not use the script,” he concluded.