Languages in Malaysia

Overview

Because Malaysia is a multi-ethnic, multi-racial country, you can hear any number of languages as you walk down the street.  Almost every ethnic group in Malaysia speaks more than one language, leading to a staggering amount of linguistic diversity.  The official language is Malay, but you’ll hear English, not to mention a variety of Indian and Chinese languages. 

Malay

This is the language of the Malay Austronesian ethnic group, members of which can be found scattered all across Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia.  With the arrival of Islam in the 14th century, Arabic script gave rise to the Malay alphabet.  In recent years, there has been a crackdown on what the government considers the mangling of the Malay language. Anybody posting signboards or posters with “incorrect” use of the language is liable to be fined.  Many view this as an attempt to protect the Malay language from dilution, and to purify it in the face of the increased dominance of English. 

English

This is the language of private business, tourism, and medical tourism in Malaysia. It is taught at the primary and secondary level, and many Malaysians are proficient in the language.  Like its giant medical tourism neighbor Singapore, Malaysia too has its own quirky brand of English known as Manglish, a blend of the Malay and English.  Manglish is very similar to Singlish, Singapore’s version of the Queen’s language, and there are a number of Malay and Chinese expressions that give it its unique flavor. By and large, British English is the norm, although American expressions are popular among the young. 

Other Languages