Malay Language

Differences in Malay Language in Indonesia and Malaysia

• In Malaysia, Malay language is the national language, while in Indonesia, it is considered a regional language in Malay-speaking areas.
• The term "Malay language" in Indonesia and Malaysia has different meanings to their respective people.
• Between 1986 and 2007, "Bahasa Melayu" was used instead of "Bahasa Malaysia" in Malaysia to promote a sense of belonging among all races.
• In Brunei, the language is known as Bahasa Melayu and in English as "Malay."
• Indonesian is the national language of Indonesia, while "Malay" is reserved for the forms of Malay indigenous to the Malay ethnic group.
• In Malaysia, "Indonesian Malay" and "Malaysian Malay" are sometimes used for Indonesian and Malay as spoken in Malaysia.
• Malay was designated as a national language by the Singaporean government after independence from Britain in the 1960s.
• Malay in Singapore is officially written in the Latin-based Rumi script, with some also learning the Arabic-based Jawi script.
• Malay was originally written in the Arabic alphabet known as Jawi, but in the 20th century, it was mostly replaced by the Roman letters, known as Rumi.
• The romanisations used in Malaysia and Indonesia were influenced by English and Dutch colonial history, resulting in different spellings and pronunciations.
• Indonesia used a unified spelling system in 1972 to remove most differences between Malay and Indonesian varieties.
• Pronunciation differs significantly between East Malaysia, Standard Singapore, and Indonesia, with variations in enunciation and pace of speech.