Malay language

Independence and the Making of Malaysia · Treatise · 8 min read

How Does Article 152 Set the National Language? Malay and the Space for Other Languages

Article 152 is not a simple victory cry; it chooses a national language while leaving room for other languages to keep living

The independence constitution had to answer a question that would appear every day: what language should the government, schools, courts, and citizens use with one another? Article 152 made the Malay language the national language. At the same time, it preserved the right of any person to teach or learn other languages, and preserved the power of the federal or state governments to preserve and sustain the use and study of the languages of other communities. It also allowed English to continue through a transition period of at least ten years after independence. The language clause was not a simple victory. It was a tight compromise.