Language and the Malay Muslim Identity: The Investigation Continues

Abstract

In the first part of this thought paper,4 we showed that, based on a survey conducted on 830 Brunei Malays, Bruneians are becoming increasingly anglophonic. This is especially true of the young Bruneians, who have indicated a preference to using English or at the very least, dual Malay-English, for their day-to-day interactions. One of the reasons offered for this language shift has been explained in terms of the country’s education system. With the introduction of the Dwibahasa in the early 1980s, followed by the even more English-heavy SPN21 in 2009, Bruneians are now more adept in English, so much so that English is even considered as a first language by some.5 Depending on where one situates himself on the socio-linguacultural continuum, this linguistic development will elicit varied reactions. To those who are familiar with the link between English and economics, specifically of the positive correlation between a population’s English proficiency and a country’s economic performance,6 this news would be lauded as a sign of prosperity and development. On the other hand, to those who view language through the cultural prism, the dominance of English would be seen as imperialism all over again, albeit a linguistic one.7 Indeed, concerns over the weakening and contamination of Malay as a consequence of English have always been a staple feature of the local newspapers. In 2010, the then Director of Language and Literature Bureau lamented over the deteriorating quality of Malay among Bruneian students.8 In 2012, a dire warning was issued on the probable impending death