Perfected Spelling System

History

The Perfected Spelling system is a system of orthography released in 1972 to replace the existing Republican Spelling System (RSS, also called the Soewandi Spelling System, SSS). A joint initiative of Indonesia and neighbouring country Malaysia (which also introduced the similar Joint Rumi Spelling system), the aim of the change in 1972 was to introduce greater harmonisation of the Indonesian and Malay-language orthographies. The new EYD system, adopted on the 27th anniversary of Indonesia's independence on 17 August 1972, was decreed by President Suharto the previous day. Government departments were instructed to begin using the EYD system on 1 January 1973. On 27 August 1975, the Minister of Education and Culture issued a decree which provided a detailed explanation of the changes in the new system and marked the official use of the EYD system. It was formerly known as the Indonesian Spelling System (Ejaan Bahasa Indonesia, EBI), often referred to as the Indonesian Spelling System General Guidelines (Pedoman Umum Ejaan Bahasa Indonesia, PUEBI), between 2015 and 2022.