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Bahasa Malaysia
Although the Malay language is the national and official language, English is widely understood and spoken in the main towns of Malaysia. This is because Malaysia was a colony of Great Britain until its independence in 1957. Malaysia is made up of many races and ethnic groups with the Malays, Chinese, Indians, Ibans and Kadazans comprising the major races. Being multi-racial and multi-ethnic, it is therefore also multi-lingual, and there are many languages and scores of dialects found in the country. The Malays themselves in some of the states, also speak various dialects, with Kelantan, Kedah, Negeri Sembilan, Penang and Terengganu dialects being quite distinctly pronounced. There are also differences in the Chinese language spoken in the country. Besides Mandarin (formal language) you will hear various dialects spoken like Hokkien, Hakka and Cantonese. And although the Malaysian Indians speak Tamils mostly, you can find or hear Telugu, Malayalam, Punjabi and Hindi also spoken.
Below are some of the useful and simple Bahasa Malaysia words and phrases to get by, while in Malaysia or Pahang. One - Satu
Thank you - Terima kasih
Yes - Ya I (me) - Saya
How much ? - Berapa? Good morning - Selamat pagi Day - Hari Today - Hari ini
Monday - Isnin
Well, you will find in Malaysia and in Pahang a potpourri of cultures and languages, and what is amazing is that all races and ethnic groups respect the beliefs, culture, language and dialect of the others. Through it all, Bahasa Malaysia, the official language, seamlessly unites them. And with unity, it is no wonder then that progress and development can be easily achieved.
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