Kelantan Peranakan Chinese language and marker of group identity
Although the status of the national language of Malaysia has been consolidated in the Constitution, the Malay language remains commonly associated with a specific segment of Malaysian society, i.e., the Malays. The language is often seen as a distinct marker for Malayness whereas the non-Malay et...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
2019
|
| Online Access: | http://journalarticle.ukm.my/14079/ http://journalarticle.ukm.my/14079/ http://journalarticle.ukm.my/14079/1/30162-102463-1-PB.pdf |
| Summary: | Although the status of the national language of Malaysia has been consolidated in the
Constitution, the Malay language remains commonly associated with a specific segment of
Malaysian society, i.e., the Malays. The language is often seen as a distinct marker for
Malayness whereas the non-Malay ethnic groups, particularly in Peninsular Malaysia, are not
widely associated with the language. The Chinese as the largest minority ethnic group in the
Peninsular, are often stereotypically depicted as relatively less fluent or knowledgeable in
Malay language, at times not beyond the colloquial ‘bahasa pasar’. Such a scenario suggests
that language-wise, Malaysian society remains divided along ethnic lines. This paper seeks to
highlight Malay language use among Peranakan Chinese youth in Kelantan. While their
higher level of Malay language proficiency vis-à-vis mainstream Chinese is readily
acknowledged, findings from content analyses of qualitative data collected in a focus group
discussion also suggest that such proficiency in Malay language is achieved due to it being
pivotal to the continuity of their identity as both Kelantan Peranakan Chinese and
Kelantanese. In short, the Kelantan Peranakan Chinese community is a good example that
proficiency in Malay language as national language can exist in tandem with the group’s
mother tongue language, and thus should be celebrated and supported towards building a
common identity as part of nation-building in Malaysia. |
|---|