Background Proposing Malay to be The Primary Language of ASEAN

Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob proposed Malay as a second language in ASEAN. He explained that there are 800,000 Cham Malays who use the Malay language. He explained that there are 160,000 Malay-speaking people in Vietnam among those who have Cham ancestry.

Reporting from one of the News Asia channels, Ismail said that the Malay language is used by Malaysia and has been used by several ASEAN countries such as Indonesia, Brunei Darussalam, Singapore, Southern Thailand, and Southern Philippines parts of Cambodia. He also explained that the reason for proposing Malay as the primary language of ASEAN was because several people throughout ASEAN, most of whom spoke Malay. The following is a list of countries, whether ASEAN members or not, that use Malay as both an official language and a minority language:

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Malaysia

The official language of Malaysia is Malay which is a standardized form of Malay. Standard Malay is often a second language after using local Malay dialects. In Malaysia, there are 10 dialects of Malay spoken; languages of Malaysia, Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah, Sarawak, Bajau, Negeri Sembilan Malay, Banjar, Brunei Darussalam, and Indonesian.

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Brunei Darussalam

The official language spoken in Brunei Darussalam is standard Malay. The Latin alphabet (Rumi) and the Arabic alphabet (Jawi) are also used in Brunei Darussalam. Traditional Malay is used as the official language of Brunei Darussalam. Brunei Darussalam Malay is socially dominant, and Brunei Darussalam Malay is different than Standard Malay.

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Singapore

English is the lingua franca and the primary language used in Singapore's business, government, law, and education. However, the Singapore government-designated Malay as the national language after independence from Britain in the 1960s to avoid friction with Malay-speaking neighbors Malaysia and Indonesia. Malay has a characteristic that tends to be more symbolic, not functional. The national anthem "Onward Singapore" uses this language in military ranks, honors, and commands.

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Indonesia

Sumatra is the birthplace of the Malay language, and Indonesian, which is the state's official language and lingua franca, is based on Riau Malay. In various areas of Sumatra and Kalimantan, many ethnic Indonesian Malays speak Malay in addition to Indonesian. The Malay dialects most commonly used among Indonesian Malays are Palembang Malay, Jambi Malay, Bengkulu Malay, and Banjar dialects.

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Thailand

In the southernmost region of Thailand, Kelantan-Pattani Malay is the primary language spoken by the Malay Muslim community living there. This language is also spoken in Kelantan, Malaysia, and it is the primary spoken language of the Thai Malay community. Kelantan-Pattani Malay is very different from other varieties of Malay in that it is very geographically isolated from the rest of the Malay region. In Thailand, the language is also heavily influenced by the Thai language.

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Philippines

Malay is spoken by a minority of Filipinos, particularly in Palawan, the Sulu Archipelago, and parts of Mindanao. Here, Malay is mainly expressed in the form of a trade and creole language, such as Sabah Malay. Historically, Malay as a lingua franca before the Spanish colonization of the Philippines can be found in the first written Filipino document. The Laguna Tembaga Inscription dated 900, registered in the local Old Malay language.

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Timor Leste

Currently, Timor Leste has not officially become a member of ASEAN. The two official languages of Timor Leste are Portuguese and Tetum. In addition, English and Indonesian are stipulated by the constitution as working languages. Officially, the language of education set by the government of Timor Leste is Portuguese. However, most of the teachers from the younger generation are not fluent in Portuguese because they grew up when Timor Leste was still part of Indonesia. In reality, most schools in Timor Leste use a mixture of Indonesian, Malay, and Tetum languages.

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Cambodia and Vietnam

Chams or Urang Campa are an ethnic group that is predominantly scattered in Cambodia and Vietnam. The older generation of the Cham Malay group can still speak Malay. However, the number of Malay speakers in both countries is decreasing because there is no regeneration for the successors of Malay language users.

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The effort to empower the Malay language is also in line with the Malaysian Foreign Policy Framework launched on December 7, 2021. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also asked to provide Malay language classes for Ministry staff stationed abroad with their children. Some children from Ministry staff stationed abroad tend to be less able to speak Malay because they study in international schools. The Malaysian High Council previously received a statement from Ismail that international students at Malaysian universities were also required to learn Malay, which was conveyed by Ismail in the general assembly of UMNO.

References

Dhar, S. (2022, March 24). M’sia PM Proposes Malay As 2nd Language In ASEAN, Claims Bloc Already Has Many Speakers. Must Share News - Independent News For Singaporeans. Retrieved April 19, 2022, from https://mustsharenews.com/malay-language-asean/

Ivani, K. (2022, March 26). PM Malaysia Usul Bahasa Melayu Jadi Bahasa Kedua ASEAN. Medcom.Id. Retrieved April 19, 2022, from https://www.medcom.id/internasional/asean/nN9Xd6rK-pm-malaysia-usul-bahasa-melayu-jadi-bahasa-kedua-asean?p=all

Tuwwo, A. G. (2022, April 6). Diusulkan Jadi Bahasa ASEAN, Ini Daftar Negara yang Pakai Bahasa Melayu. kumparan. Retrieved April 19, 2022, from https://kumparan.com/kumparannews/diusulkan-jadi-bahasa-asean-ini-daftar-negara-yang-pakai-bahasa-melayu-1xpUaSuEEyY