Malaysia’s multilingual character should be regarded as a national asset that strengthens the country’s shared identity and broadens opportunities, rather than as an impediment to national unity.
Writer and cultural heritage advocate Dr Lee Su Kim said Malaysians’ ability to move naturally between languages, including the informal English variety known as ‘Manglish’, reflected a shared experience shaped by the country’s diverse communities.
She said this was particularly evident in everyday interactions, where Malaysians frequently switched between languages and incorporated words, expressions and speech patterns from their respective vernaculars.
“We tend to take our unique multilingualism for granted… our ability to speak many languages and to switch from one to the other easily and unconsciously.
“That’s when we like to switch to our informal variety of English, full of loan words, expressions, sounds, grammar, idioms, tailenders and exclamations from our vernacular languages. This has evolved into our very own variety of English, Manglish, used and understood by Malaysians, and an identity marker of our shared national identity,” she told Bernama recently.
Lee, who is also founding president of the Peranakan Baba Nyonya Association of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor (PPBNKLS), said code- switching was a natural feature of Malaysian society, with people moving between languages depending on their emotions, company and circumstances.
“This code-switching is an outcome, an everyday expression of our unity but not a deliberate, conscious one,” she said.
‘MANGLISH’ REFLECTS SHARED IDENTITY
Lee said the growing international recognition of World Englishes, particularly since the 1990s, had also contributed to greater acceptance of Manglish as a distinct variety of English shaped by Malaysia’s linguistic environment.
Her first collection, Manglish: Malaysian English at its Wackiest, was published in 1998, followed by a second edition in 2019 and a third edition co-authored with Prof Stephen J. Hall in March this year.
“Through the years, there is more acceptance that Manglish is our very own unique variety, not broken English or bad English, and a beloved identity marker of Malaysians,” she said.
Lee said ‘Manglish’ continued to evolve with changing social trends, moving beyond coffee shops and workplaces into memes and social media, while acquiring new expressions as others faded.
However, she cautioned that declining English proficiency, the predominance of social media and growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) could leave less room for creativity and resourcefulness in Manglish.
The issue also extends to Malaysia’s wider linguistic heritage, which she said comprised 137 languages and diverse traditions, including Javanese in Johor, Semai in Tapah, Thai in Kelantan and Perlis, Hokkien in many towns, as well as endangered languages in Sabah and Sarawak.
“Languages are not just conduits of communication but also invaluable repositories of knowledge and cultural heritage,” she said.
Lee urged Malaysians to build on their multilingual capabilities rather than view proficiency in different languages as competing interests.
“We need to build on the clear evidence that we are complex, skilled users of languages in Malaysia and be open in embracing and accepting our diversity. We are in such a unique position and should be celebrating and capitalising on this advantage,” she stressed.
LANGUAGE SKILLS OPEN MORE DOORS
Meanwhile, Hall said bilingualism and multilingualism were normal features of Malaysian society and should be recognised as part of the country's cultural strength.
“Multilingualism or bilingualism is a norm in Malaysia which we should celebrate as we do with our unique spoken variety ‘Manglish’,” he said.
Hall, who has worked in ASEAN since 1991 and spent 16 years at Sunway University, including as head of its Centre for English Language Studies, said proficiency in one language should not be seen as coming at the expense of another.
“We should celebrate our skill in our so-called ‘mother tongues’ and so-called dialects, such as Kelantanese and Hokkien, rather than thinking that skill in the national language or an international language is lessened by the culture expressed in the language of one’s community,” he said.
He said Malaysia's multilingual strength could be sustained by maintaining English proficiency, upholding the national language and supporting community languages such as Semai, Iban and Dusun.
Of Malaysia's 137 languages, Hall said 70 per cent were endangered.
Language proficiency also had economic consequences, particularly in widening access to opportunities as Malaysia strengthened its technological capabilities, he said.
“Language provides access both nationally and globally, and the rural-urban divide which I worked on in the past remains a challenge. As the nation upskills technologically, communicative fluency in global trading languages broadens more choices leading to greater access,” he said.
COMMUNICATION OVER KNOWLEDGE REPETITION
On education, Hall called for greater emphasis on language learning and communication rather than knowledge repetition.
He said teachers remained central, particularly in a teacher-centric system, but smaller classes and less bureaucracy could strengthen their role.
“There is still a need for greater focus on language learning rather than teaching. Communication is an essential 21st-century skill surpassing knowledge repetition,” he added.
Hall said language education should continue to foster the national language as part of Malaysian identity and culture, while recognising the country's longstanding engagement with international trading languages.
Fluency in English and Mandarin remained relevant to Malaysia's global trading position without diminishing the value of Malay or other community languages, he said.
“Education should balance bilingualism and multilingualism between English, Malay, Mandarin, Tamil and the community languages.”
Hall, whose academic publications include more than 50 articles and several authored and co-authored books, has written extensively on ASEAN, reflective teacher education, blended learning and countering native-speakerism.
MULTILINGUALISM IN AI ERA
Hall also cautioned against uncritical consumption of online material, saying algorithms could reinforce prejudice while falsehoods spread through clickbait and forwarded messages.
He linked concerns over declining writing standards with the rise of AI, saying multilingual resources could provide a foundation for original thought and expression.
“Having one's own multilingual word bank to draw on as a source can provide a foundation for creativity which is essential in this cut and paste age. We also need to be critical viewers in the sea of AI slop,” he added.
For Lee, Malaysia's multilingualism is already visible in the way its people communicate and switch between languages in daily life.
Hall's concern is how to sustain that capability through education while ensuring Malaysians retain the language skills needed to participate nationally and globally.
In essence, the experts said, Malaysia’s linguistic diversity need not divide its people. When nurtured alongside a shared national identity, it can instead serve as a bridge between communities and a source of cultural, social and economic strength.
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