Is It Wrong For Malays To Speak In English?
Written by Qadeem Zieman on Newswav.com
Here in Malaysia which is known for the country’s multicultural background and understanding, communicating with one another could be a hassle considering the many languages we speak here, Malay, Mandarin, Cantonese, Hindi, Tamil, Urdu, and a few others, and while it is pretty hard to keep up with these languages, there is one particular language that is spoken universally, that is considered to be a melting pot where almost everyone can understand and use to communicate with, and that is English.
Many students are being taught that speaking English could be beneficial, which is indeed true, English is almost like a default language in most countries and is the most spoken language in the world.
By understanding English one can easily pass an interview session for work, and it is easy to be qualified for many coming opportunities, such as furthering studies both domestically and internationally and getting promoted to a higher position at work. It could also potentially boost one’s appearance in a way when speaking in that particular language.
However, English is very important, and not only in Malaysia we face this problem but also in other countries like Indonesia and India where some people are being shamed for knowing ‘too much’ of English that they tend to forget their national language whereas in this case, Malay.
It is understandable that as Malaysians we must learn and at least understand the basics of our national language, as it is considered a part of our cultural pride, but is it really fair when one is being shamed and looked down upon when speaking fluently in English? After all, it is for their own good, isn’t it?
Some people of this generation face a hard time communicating with others when speaking in English as some other people tend to look down on these people as uncultured and tease them to the extent of becoming a bully, only because one decides to learn a different language.
For some reason, speaking in English as a Malay means that one is arrogant, and snobbish as they appear to know more and better than the rest, when at the same time, if a Malay decides to speak Malay, it is looked at as a humbling gesture, and perceived as polite by a lot of people.
Looking at it, In this case, it is best for us to just leave the prehistoric phase that this country has gone through the pre-independence era in the past and accept the fact that English is actually very important and could be very beneficial to learn, especially to the younger generations seeking for opportunities, it is best to practise English at home. And of course, while English is an important language, as fellow Malaysians, we must never forget where we come from, practising Malay is also equally as important as any other language.
