History of Maluku
Maluku is a province located in eastern Indonesia and consists of thousands of small islands that are still inhabited by humans. Astronomically, Maluku is located at 2° 30′- 9° south latitude and 124° – 136° east longitude (Utrecht, 1988). Maluku borders directly on the Seram Sea, to the south it borders the Indonesian Sea and the Arafuru Sea, to the east it borders Irian Island, and to the west it borders Sulawesi Island. Overall the area is 581,376 km2 with 90% of the area being sea covering an area of 527,191 km2.
The total number of islands in Maluku Province is 1,412 islands. Specifically, the islands in the Maluku region are islands that have different characteristics both geographically, climatically, socially, economically, culturally and ethnically. Administratively, Maluku consists of 2 cities and 9 districts.
- Ambon City
- Tual City
- Buru Regency
- South Buru Regency
- Aru Islands Regency
- Southwest Maluku Regency
- Central Maluku Regency
- Southeast Maluku Regency
- Tanimbar Islands Regency
- West Seram Regency
- Eastern Seram Regency
The existence of these islands cannot be separated from backwardness caused by various limitations. It can be said that some of them are still in the 3T area (Disadvantaged, Frontier, Outermost). These islands have a variety of cultures and regional languages belonging to Maluku. Therefore, the government is taking part in efforts to preserve regional culture and languages in Maluku so that they do not become extinct.
Apart from that, based on research results from the Language Development and Development Agency and the Maluku Provincial Language Office, there are 61 regional languages that have been identified in the Maluku Islands, among these regional languages there are several languages that are in decline, threatened with extinction, or even extinct. .
The Ministry of Education and Culture, through the Language Development and Development Agency, presents the Maluku Provincial Language Office as an extension of the government to oversee language and literature in Maluku. Since 2010 the Maluku Provincial Language Office has been present in Ambon City and functioned optimally in 2012.
Based on Ministerial Regulation Number 64 of 2008 dated 23 October 2008 concerning the Establishment of eight Language Offices in eight provinces, one of which is the Maluku Province Language Office. The Maluku Language Office has undergone one change in nomenclature from the Maluku Provincial Language Office to the Maluku Language Office. Currently, the Maluku Provincial Language Office is headed by Sahril, S.S., M.Pd. replacing Dr. Asrif, M. Hum. Human Resources at the Maluku Language Office consist of 25 State Civil Servants (ASN), and 6 non-Civil Servant Government Employees (PPNPN).