Kazakhstan's "De-Russification": MP Calls for Accelerating the Transition to Latin Alphabet, Minister Responds: Systematically Advancing, but Needs Patience

Kazakhstan International News Agency - Today, at a parliamentary hearing on the development of artificial intelligence, MP Yermurat Bape of the Majilis (lower house of parliament) asked government members when Kazakhstan would fully transition to the Latin alphabet.

"The Latin alphabet is a direct route to Microsoft's unified software platform. But we are still using Cyrillic script, in which 12 Kazakh-specific letters cannot be recognized by programs. Due to the simultaneous use of Kazakh, Russian, and English, we are suffering huge losses. Street names, road signs, all content are written in three languages, which requires massive costs. Platforms like Google, Microsoft, and YouTube are ready to support Kazakh, but they need a unified standard," Bape said.

He said that the Latin alphabet is a shortcut for Kazakh to access the global system and an important opportunity for Kazakh to achieve independence.

"Is there a clear national plan to determine the timeline for switching to the Latin alphabet? Are you considering submitting this issue to the president for a political decision?" he continued to ask.

Bape emphasized that the Latin alphabet is crucial for the "New Kazakhstan."

"Mr. Henrik von Scher, an expert from the World Economic Forum and a member of the drafting team for the EU's Artificial Intelligence Act, just called artificial intelligence a biological revolution. If we do not quickly transition to the Latin alphabet, we will fall behind in this biological revolution. For many people here, the Latin alphabet may not be important, but it is important for the younger generation, and for New Kazakhstan," he said.

In response, Minister of Science and Higher Education Sayasat Nurbeke said that this work is being steadily advanced according to the planned schedule.

"This work has been systematically carried out for several years, during which several different versions have been proposed. Currently, multiple groups, linguists, and experts in the fields of linguistics and bibliography have not yet reached an agreement. I clearly tell you that this work is being coordinated by my ministry. It involves many subsequent impacts, including the digitalization issues you mentioned. Switching all documents, street names, etc., to the new alphabet will bring significant economic costs. We must make comprehensive trade-offs in terms of science, pronunciation, spelling, and pronunciation before completing the transition. Therefore, please be patient. We will continue to push forward the work and provide more information in the near future. Please trust that the working group will complete this task comprehensively," Nurbeke said.

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1844368286320779/

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