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Malaysia’s national language? Bahasa Melayu.
Your race? Chinese/Indian/Malay.
Your mother tongue? Chinese dialect / Hindi or Tamil / Bahasa Melayu.
The language you converse with your kind and everyone else? English, or rather the Malaysian version of English.
Despite Bahasa Melayu being our national language, why do most of us still speak English with each other? It is understandable that each race may use their mother tongues when speaking with each other. However, for the most part, Malaysians still use English to converse with each other.
At work, we’d use English. Between friends, we’d use English also. Sometimes among our own family and relatives, we’d also converse in English too. So what makes us use English “more than” we’d use our mother tongues or national language?
a. Universality of the English language
English is a universal language. You don’t have to be raised in an English-speaking country you’d even know how to speak that language. The language itself is so practical even if you speak in broken English, people will still understand you. If you are to go overseas and converse in broken English, you’d still survive all right.
Regardless of where you go, people will still understand English nonetheless. In Malaysia, it’s not too different. The majority of Malaysians learn English in school so they know how to speak the language. The only difference is that they may not speak it perfectly or nearly as good as certain neighbouring countries. People still can understand Malaysian English anyway as it’s generally an accepted form of English language.
b. Malaysian English is spoken for practicality purposes
Let’s be honest with ourselves: Malaysian English isn’t exactly properly-spoken English. In many senses, it’s broken English with a mix of bad grammar and pronunciations. Not that it’s a problem as those areas are often debatable. There aren’t exactly proper rules to follow when it comes to languages anymore, not in modern-day languages anyway.
So that means, even if your English isn’t perfect, you’d still convey the necessary message, then you’re okay. As long as the receiving party 100% understands what you are trying to say, you will have nothing to worry about. The way English is spoken in Malaysia may go against every language rule of English. However, when it comes down to communication, that’s what Malaysians do best. They speak the language for practicality purposes to make things work for everyone else.
c. English isn’t exactly spoken in its pure form
Malaysian English isn’t exactly 100% English all the time. Malaysian English is usually a mix of Malay, Chinese dialects, Tamil, and Hindi all mixed into the English Language. Hence, Malaysian English is essentially rojak English that has been very well marinated with Malaysian cultures’ languages. When you listen carefully to the way Malaysians speak the language, oftentimes it is mixed out with other local dialects. Nothing wrong with that as it is a localisation of the English language after all.
Again, this has got to do with practicality purposes. Malaysians speak languages out of practicality. As long as the receiving end understands what is needed, then there is nothing wrong with mixing the language out.
Bottom Line
There are no real rules when it comes to speaking any languages anymore. Times and situations change with every generation. If Malaysians need to communicate in broken English to get their points across, so be it.
Lydia is a content writer under Headliner by Newswav, a programme where content creators get to tell their unique stories through articles and at the same time monetize their content within the Newswav app.
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