Languages of Malaysia

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Languages of Malaysia
ForeignEnglish, Filipino, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese
SignedMalaysian Sign Language
Keyboard layout

The indigenous languages of Malaysia belong to the

statutory law (written laws of Malaysia) are continuously available in both Malay and English.[1]

Malaysia contains speakers of 137 living languages,[2] 41 of which are found in Peninsular Malaysia.[3] The government provides schooling at the primary level in each of the three major languages, Malay, Mandarin and Tamil. Within Malay and Tamil there are a number of dialectal differences.[4] There are a number of Chinese languages native to the ethnic Han Chinese who originated from Southern China, which include Yue, Min and Hakka Chinese.

Malay

The official language of Malaysia is the "

13 May Incident, English as the main kindergarten to university-level national education medium was gradually replaced with Malay since the 1970s.[6][9] The Education Act of 1996 reiterates that Malay is to be "the main medium of instruction in all educational institutions in the National Education System", with certain exceptions.[citation needed
]

Other indigenous languages

Citizens of

Kadazan-Dusun, which have developed educational syllabuses. Iban also has developed an educational syllabus.[11] Languages on the peninsula can be divided into three major groups: Negrito, Senoi, and Malayic, further divided into 18 subgroups.[4] The Semai language is used in education.[11] Thai is also spoken in northern parts of the peninsula, especially in northern Langkawi and mainland Kedah, Perlis, northern Perak, northern Terengganu, and northern Kelantan.[12]

English

Malaysian English, also known as Malaysian Standard English (MySE), is a form of English derived from British English, although there is little official use of the term except with relation to education. English was used in the Parliament briefly upon independence (then as Federation of Malaya), prior to a gradual and complete transition to the Malay language, and continued to be used today for specific terminologies with permission. English, however, remains an official language in the State Legislative Assemblies and Courts of Sabah and Sarawak.[13][14][15] Malaysian English differs little from standard British English.[7]

Malaysian English also sees wide usage in business, along with Manglish, which is a colloquial form of English with heavy Malay, Chinese, and Tamil influences. Many Malaysians (particularly those who live in urban areas) are conversant in English, although some are only fluent in the Manglish form. The Malaysian government officially discourages the use of Manglish.[16] Many businesses in Malaysia conduct their transactions in English, and it is sometimes used in official correspondence.

The federal constitution provides that English would continue to serve as an official language for at least 10 years after Merdeka until the parliament provides otherwise.[17] The passage of the National Language Act re-iterated the primacy of Malay as an official language for most official purposes, however the act provides for the use of English in certain official contexts. Among these, section 5 provides that English may be used in the parliament and state assemblies with the presiding officer's permission. Article 152(3) of the constitution and sections 6–7 of the National Language Act provide that all federal and state laws must be enacted in Malay and English.

The Malaysia Agreement,[18] provided for the continued use of English in Sabah and Sarawak for any official purpose.[19] Under article 161(3) of the constitution, federal legislation affecting the use of English in Sabah and Sarawak would not become law in these states unless approved by their respective legislative assemblies. Sarawak has not adopted the National Language Act; meanwhile Sabah has amended its constitution to provide for Malay as "the official language of the state cabinet and assembly".[20]

English was the predominant language in government until 1969.

PPSMI policy, but reverted to Bahasa Malaysia in national schools and mother-tongue languages in 2012.[21] The Parent Action Group for Education and former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has called for science and maths to be taught in English again.[4][22][23]

The English language is an important aspect of the legal system in the country. The

statutory law (written laws of Malaysia) are continuously available in both Malay and English.[1]

Chinese language and regiolects

As a whole, Standard Chinese (Mandarin) and its Malaysian dialect are the most widely spoken forms among Malaysian Chinese, as it is a lingua franca for Chinese who speak mutually unintelligible varieties; Mandarin is also the language of instruction in Chinese schools and an important language in business.[4]

As most Malaysian Chinese have ancestry from the southern provinces of China, various southern Chinese varieties are spoken in Malaysia (in addition to Standard Chinese (Mandarin) which originated from northern China and was introduced through the educational system. The more common forms in Peninsular Malaysia are Hokkien, Cantonese, Hakka, Hainanese, Teochew, and Hokchew.[12] Hokkien is mostly spoken in Penang, Kedah, Perlis, Klang, Johor, Northern Perak, Kelantan, Terengganu, and Malacca, whereas Cantonese is mostly spoken in Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur, Seremban and Kuantan. In Sarawak, most ethnic Chinese speak Hokkien, Hokchew, or Hakka. Hakka predominates in Sabah except in the city of Sandakan where Cantonese is more frequently spoken despite the Hakka origins of the Chinese residing there.

As with Malaysian youths of other ethnicities, most Chinese youth are multilingual and can speak at least three languages with at least moderate fluency – Mandarin, English, and Malay, as well as their Chinese regiolect and/or the dominant Chinese regiolect in their area. However, most Chinese regiolects are losing ground to Mandarin, due to its prestige and use as the language of instruction in Chinese vernacular schools. Some parents speak exclusively in Mandarin with their children. Some of the less-spoken regiolects, such as Hainanese, are facing extinction.

Tamil

Tamil and its Malaysian dialect are used predominantly by Tamils, who form a majority of Malaysian Indians.[24] It is especially used in Peninsular Malaysia. The Education Act of 1996 regulates the use of Tamil as medium of instruction at the primary level in "national-type schools", and also entitles Tamil children to obtain Tamil classes in national primary schools and national secondary schools (which use Malay as medium of instruction), provided "it is reasonable and practicable so to do and if the parents of at least fifteen pupils in the school so request".[25][26]

Tamil-speaking immigrants to Malaysia came from two groups, Sri Lankan Tamils who spoke Sri Lankan Tamil dialects such as the Jaffna Tamil dialect, and Indian Tamils who spoke dialect from Tamil Nadu. These dialects reflected class differences, with the Sri Lankan Tamils being more educated and overseeing the Indian Tamils, who primarily served as labourers on rubber estates. These two communities with their very different dialects remained mostly separate in Malaysia, forming two separate Tamil communities. Tamil is becoming less common among the more highly educated Tamil population, being predominantly replaced by English, and in a minority by Malay. Tamil-medium schools are considered less advantageous than English-medium schools, bringing little prospect of socioeconomic advancement. While the Malaysian government provides limited support for elementary Tamil schooling, secondary school is only taught in Malay, and there are no Tamil private schools. Usage of Tamil remains common among the less educated Tamil community, who often continue to live in their own communities on or near plantations, or in urban squatter settlements.[27]

One small group of former Tamil speakers, the Chitty, almost entirely speak Malay.[27]

Other Indian languages

The

Malayalees and the domination of Tamil, as a lingua franca of the Malaysian Indians.[29]
Today, there are roughly more than 200,000 Malayalam speakers in Malaysia.

Other South Asian languages such as Bengali, Hindi, Punjabi, Sinhala and Telugu are also spoken.

Creoles

A small number of Malaysians have Eurasian ancestry and speak creole languages, such as the Portuguese-based Malaccan Creoles.[30] A Spanish-based creole, Zamboangueño Chavacano, has spread into Sabah from the southern Philippines.[31]

Sign languages

Sign languages include

Selangor Sign Language and Penang Sign Language. No sign language is used in the education of the deaf. Instead, Manually Coded Malay
is used.

List of languages

A sign at 7-Eleven stores showing common languages in Malaysia: English, Malay, Chinese, and Tamil

Native languages in Peninsular Malaysia

Language
ISO 639-3 code
Speakers % of total population Region Family
Baba Malay
mbf 12,000 0.0374
Melaka
Malay creole
Batek btq 1,000 0.0031 Pahang, Kelantan, Terengganu Aslian (Austroasiatic)
Chitty Malay
ccm 300 0.0009
Melaka
Malay creole
Cheq Wong cwg 460 0.0014 Pahang Aslian (Austroasiatic)
Duano'
dup 4,000 0.0125 Johor Malayic (Austronesian)
Jah Hut jah 4,191 0.0131 Pahang Aslian (Austroasiatic)
Jahai jhi 1,000 0.0031 Kelantan, Perak, Pahang Aslian (Austroasiatic)
Jakun jak 28,000 0.0874 Pahang, Johor Malayic (Austronesian)
Jedek 280 0.0009 Kelantan Aslian (Austroasiatic)
Kedahan Malay meo 2,600,000 8.1124 Kedah, Penang, Perlis, Perak Malayic (Austronesian)
Kelantanese Malay mfa 1,500,000 4.6802 Kelantan, Terengganu Malayic (Austronesian)
Kenaboi xbn extinct 0.0000 Negeri Sembilan
Unclassified
Kensiu kns 259 0.0008 Kedah Aslian (Austroasiatic)
Kintaq knq 110 0.0003 Aslian (Austroasiatic)
Kristang mcm 2,200 0.0069
Melaka
Portuguese creole
Lanoh lnh 240 0.0007 Perak Aslian (Austroasiatic)
Malay (Standard Malay) msa, zlm, zsm 20,000,000 62.4031 nationwide Malayic (Austronesian)
Mah Meri mhe 3,000 0.0094 Selangor Aslian (Austroasiatic)
Manglish 0.0000 mostly in urban centres like Kuala Lumpur English creole
Minriq mnq 270 0.0008 Kelantan Aslian (Austroasiatic)
Mintil mzt 180 0.0006 Pahang Aslian (Austroasiatic)
Negeri Sembilan Malay zmi 500,000 1.5601
Melaka
Malayic (Austronesian)
Orang Kanaq orn 80 0.0002 Johor Malayic (Austronesian)
Orang Seletar ors 1,500 0.0047 Johor Malayic (Austronesian)
Pahang Malay 0.0000 Pahang Malayic (Austronesian)
Perak Malay 1,400,000 4.3682 Perak Malayic (Austronesian)
Rawa Malay 0.0000 Perak Malayic (Austronesian)
Reman Malay 0.0000 Perak Malayic (Austronesian)
Sabüm sbo extinct 0.0000 Perak Aslian (Austroasiatic)
Semai sea 44,000 0.1373 Pahang, Perak Aslian (Austroasiatic)
Semaq Beri szc 2,000 0.0062 Pahang, Terengganu Aslian (Austroasiatic)
Semelai sza 4,100 0.0128 Pahang, Johor Aslian (Austroasiatic)
Semnam ssm 670 0.0021 Perak Aslian (Austroasiatic)
Southern Thai sou 70,000 0.2184 Kedah, Kelantan
Tai-Kadai
)
Temiar tea 15,000 0.0468 Pahang Aslian (Austroasiatic)
Ten'edn/Mos
tnz 370 0.0012 Aslian (Austroasiatic)
Temoq tmo 0.0000 Pahang Aslian (Austroasiatic)
Temuan tmw 23,300 0.0727
Melaka
Malayic (Austronesian)
Terengganu Malay 1,100,000 3.4322 Terengganu, Pahang, Johor Malayic (Austronesian)
Tioman Malay 3,000 0.0000 Pahang, Johor Malayic (Austronesian)
Wila' extinct 0.0000 Penang Aslian (Austroasiatic)

Native languages in Malaysian Borneo

Language
ISO 639-3 code
Speakers % of total population Region Family
Abai 0.0000 Sarawak
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Bahau bhv 19,000 0.0593 Sarawak
Kayan-Murik (Austronesian
)
Bajaw
bdr 436,672 1.3625 Sabah, Labuan, Sarawak
Sama-Bajaw (Austronesian
)
Belait beg 0.0000 Sarawak
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Berawan zbc, zbe, zbw 3,600 0.0112 Sarawak
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Biatah bth 72,000 0.2247 Sarawak Land Dayak (Austronesian)
Bintulu bny 4,200 0.0131 Sarawak
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Bonggi bdg 1,400 0.0044 Sabah
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Bookan bnb 1,700 0.0053 Sabah
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Brunei Malay
kxd 0.0000 Sabah, Sarawak, Labuan Malayic (Austronesian)
Brunei Bisaya bsb 60,000 0.1872 Sarawak
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Bukar Sadong
sdo 49,000 0.1529 Sarawak Land Dayak (Austronesian)
Bukitan bkn 860 0.0027 Sarawak
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Coastal Kadazan kzj 60,000 0.1872 Sabah
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Cocos Malay coa 5,000 0.0156 Sabah Malay creole
Central Dusun dtp 140,000 0.4368 Sabah
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Daro-Matu dro 7,600 0.0237 Sarawak
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Dumpas dmv 1,100 0.0034 Sabah
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Dusun kzt, tdu, ktr 36,000 0.1123 Sabah
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Eastern Kadazan dtb 20,600 0.0643 Sabah
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Gana'
gnq 1,000 0.0031 Sabah
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Iban iba 790,000 2.4649 Sarawak Malayic (Austronesian)
Ida'an dbj 10,000 0.0312 Sabah
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Iranun ilm 22,000 0.0000 Sabah Philippine (Austronesian)
Jagoi sne 29,000 0.0905 Sarawak Land Dayak (Austronesian)
Jangkang djo 37,000 0.1154 Sarawak Land Dayak (Austronesian)
Kajaman kag 500 0.0016 Sarawak
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Kalabakan kve 2,200 0.0069 Sarawak
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Kanowit kxn 200 0.0006 Sarawak
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Kayan (Baram)
kys 13,400 0.0418 Sarawak
Kayan-Murik (Austronesian
)
Kelabit kzi 5,963 0.0186 Sarawak
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Kendayan knx 0.0000 Sarawak Malayic (Austronesian)
Keningau Murut kxi 7,000 0.0218 Sabah
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Kinabatangan dmg, ruu, low 10,000 0.0312 Sabah
North Bornean (Austronesian
)-
Kimaragang kqr 0.0000 Sabah
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Kiput kyi 2,500 0.0078 Sarawak
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Klias River Kadazan kqt 1,000 0.0031 Sabah
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Kota Marudu Talantang grm 1,800 0.0056 Sabah
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Kuijau dkr 7,910 0.0247 Sabah
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Lahanan lhn 350 0.0011 Sarawak
Melanau-Kajang (Austronesian
)
Lelak llk extinct 0.0000 Sarawak
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Lengilu lgi 3 0.0000 Sarawak
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Lotud dtr 20,000 0.0624 Sabah
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Lun Bawang lnd 16,000 0.0499 Sarawak
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Lundayeh xkl 9,125 0.0285 Sabah
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Mainstream Kenyah xkl 50,000 0.1560 Sarawak
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Maranao mrw 0.0000 Sabah Philippine (Austronesian)
Melanau mel, sdx 110,000 0.3432 Sarawak
Melanau-Kajang (Austronesian
)
Minokok mqq 2,000 0.0062 Sabah
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Molbog pwm 6,700 0.0209 Sabah
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Murik Kayan mxr 1,120 0.0035 Sarawak
Kayan-Murik (Austronesian
)
Narom nrm 2,420 0.0076 Sarawak
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Nonukan Tidong
tid 20,000 0.0624 Sabah
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Okolod kqv 5,000 0.0156 Sabah
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Paluan plz 5,500 0.0172 Sabah
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Papar dpp 500 0.0016 Sabah
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Penan pez, pne 13,000 0.0406 Sarawak
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Punan Batu pnm 30 0.0001 Sarawak
Melanau-Kajang (Austronesian
)
Remun lkj 3,500 0.0109 Sarawak Malayic (Austronesian)
Rungus drg 60,000 0.1872 Sabah
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Sa'ban snv 2,000 0.0062 Sarawak
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Sabah Bisaya
bsy 21,000 0.0655 Sabah
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Sabah Malay
msi 0.0000 Sabah Malay creole
Sama
ssb, sml, sse 80,000 0.0000 Sabah
Sama-Bajaw (Austronesian
)
Sarawak Malay 600,000 1.8721 Sarawak Malayic (Austronesian)
Sebop sib 1,730 0.0054 Sarawak
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Sekapan skp 750 0.0023 Sarawak
Melanau-Kajang (Austronesian
)
Selungai Murut slg 1,200 0.0037 Sabah
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Sembakung sbr 2,000 0.0062 Sabah
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Seru szd extinct 0.0000 Sarawak
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Serudung srk 350 0.0011 Sabah
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Sian spg 50 0.0002 Sarawak
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Sungai abf 500 0.0016 Sabah
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Sugut Dusun kzs 240,000 0.7488 Sabah
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Tatana'
txx 21,000 0.0655 Sabah
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Tausug tsg 209,000 0.6521 Sabah Philippine (Austronesian)
Tagol mvv 50,000 0.1560 Sabah
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Timugon tih 9,000 0.0281 Sabah
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Tombonuwo txa 13,000 0.0406 Sabah
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Tring tgq 550 0.0017 Sabah
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Tringgus trx 850 0.0027 Sabah
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Tutoh ttw 600 0.0019 Sarawak
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Ukit umi 120 0.0004 Sarawak
North Bornean (Austronesian
)
Uma' Lasan
xky 6,000 0.0187 Sarawak
North Bornean (Austronesian
)

Other languages recognised as Native

Estimated number of speakers in Malaysia as of 2019:

better source needed
]

Language Code Speakers Family
Acehnese ace 84,000 Chamic (Austronesian)
Banjarese
bjn 26,000 Malayic (Austronesian)
Buginese bug 143,000 South Sulawesi (Austronesian)
Cham cja 13,000 Chamic (Austronesian)
Javanese jav 661,000 Javanese (Austronesian)
Kerinci kvr Malayic (Austronesian)
Mandailing btm 31,000 Northwest Sumatra–Barrier Islands (Austronesian)
Minangkabau min 931,000 Malayic (Austronesian)

Malaysian Chinese languages

The estimated numbers of speakers of Chinese languages in Malaysia as of 2019 are as follows:

better source needed
]

Language
ISO 639-3 code
Speakers Family
Cantonese yue 1,443,000 Sino-Tibetan
Foochow 260,000 Sino-Tibetan
Hakka hak 1,787,000 Sino-Tibetan
Hainanese nan 405,000 Sino-Tibetan
Hokkien nan 1,966,000 Sino-Tibetan
Mandarin cmn 1,019,000 Sino-Tibetan
Min Bei mnp 397,000 Sino-Tibetan
Teochew nan 1,038,000 Sino-Tibetan

Malaysian Indian languages

Estimated number of speakers in Malaysia as of 2019:

better source needed
]

Language Code Speakers Family
Gujarati guj 29,000 Indo-European
Hindi
hin 59,000 Indo-European
Bengali Ben 81,000 Indo-European
Malayalam
mal 344,000 Dravidian
Punjabi pan 69,000 Indo-European
Tamil tam 1,856,000 Dravidian
Telugu tel 117,000 Dravidian
Urdu
urd 15,000 Indo-European

Foreign languages

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d "In Personam: Malay Language Usage in the Malaysian Courts". www.in-personam.com. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  2. ^ "Languages of Malaysia". Ethnologue. Archived from the original on 18 October 2010. Retrieved 18 October 2010.
  3. ^ "Languages of Malaysia (Peninsular)". Ethnologue. Archived from the original on 10 May 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2010.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Kamila Ghazali (2010). "National Identity and Minority Languages". UN Chronicle. Archived from the original on 2 November 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
  5. ^ Constitution of Malaysia:Article 152
  6. ^ .
  7. ^ .
  8. ^ Collins, James T. (1989). "Malay Dialect Research in Malaysia: The Issue of Perspective". Bijdragen tot de Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde. 145 (2/3): 235–264.
  9. ^ ]
  10. .
  11. ^ a b Luke Rintod (30 November 2010). "Speak Up, Native Language Champions urged". Free Malaysia Today. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
  12. ^ a b "Malaysia" (listed as "Foochow" there). Cia.gov. Archived from the original on 8 November 2021. Retrieved 26 October 2010.
  13. ^ "My Constitution: Sabah, Sarawak and special interests". Malaysian Bar. 2 February 2011. Retrieved 15 February 2022. English has been the official language of the State Legislative Assemblies and Courts in Sabah and Sarawak since Malaysia Day, Sept 16, 1963. Any change of the official language to Bahasa Melayu can only become effective when the State Legislative Assembly of Sabah or Sarawak agrees to adopt federal laws that make Bahasa Melayu the official language.
  14. ^ "Article 32 of the National Language Act Has No Legal Effect in Sarawak". Dayak Daily. 5 September 2018. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  15. ^ "S'wak Govt Never Agreed to Change Present Policy on English Usage". Borneo Post. 5 September 2018. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  16. ^ Zimmer, Benjamin (5 October 2006). "Malaysia Cracks Down on "Salad Language"". Language Log. Retrieved 14 September 2010.
  17. ^ Constitution, article 152(2)
  18. ^ which provided for North Borneo, Sarawak, and Singapore joining the Federation of Malaya
  19. ^ Malaysia Agreement, section 61(2)
  20. ^ Sabah Constitution, article 11a
  21. ^ "Math and Science Back to Bahasa, Mother Tongues". The Star Online. 8 July 2009. Archived from the original on 2 March 2011. Retrieved 8 September 2010.
  22. ^ Mohd Farhan Darwis (12 November 2013). "Dr Mahathir Calls for Science and Maths to Be Taught in English, Again". The Malaysian Insider. Archived from the original on 18 October 2014. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
  23. ^ "PAGE Hands in Second Memorandum". The Star Online. 9 July 2010. Archived from the original on 18 October 2014. Retrieved 8 September 2010. Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced last year that the policy of Teaching of Mathematics and Science in English (known by its Malay acronym, PPSMI) would be scrapped from 2012.
  24. .
  25. ^ Act 550 – Education Act 1996 (PDF) – via UNESCO.
  26. ^ Kamila Ghazali (2010). "National Identity and Minority Languages". UN Chronicle. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  27. ^ a b Schiffman, Harold F. (1995). "Language Shift in the Tamil Communities of Malaysia and Singapore: The Paradox of Egalitarian Language Policy". Language Loss and Public Policy. 14 (1–2).
  28. ^ "Malayali, Malayalam in Malaysia". Joshua Project.
  29. .
  30. .
  31. .
  32. ^ a b c "Malaysia". Joshua Project.

Further reading

External links