SCMP | 20-year-old student of Bangladeshi origin hopes to become Hong Kong’s first EM lawmaker
by Fiona Sun
Legco assistant Fariha Salma Deiya Bakar speaks fluent Cantonese, Mandarin, Bengali, Hindi, Tagalog and English
Having learned Cantonese since the age of two, she speaks like a native and says the language is key to building a life and career in the city. “Cantonese is important. If I do not master it, I may have a lot of difficulties finding jobs, whether I have a degree.
“Cantonese is part of Hong Kong culture and important for a sense of belonging here.”
Bakar chose Cantonese as a compulsory course in school while most of her ethnic minority classmates studied it as a second language. Apart from taking courses, she also watched television dramas and read local newspapers to immerse herself.