Malaysian English

Introduction

When Malaysia (then Malaya) became independent in 1957, the Malay language was made the national and official language. Malay began replacing English in public administration and the courts, as well as replacing English as the medium of instruction in national schools and public universities. Today, English remains a compulsory subject up to the fifth form (15-16 years old) in secondary schools. It is also still widely used in the private sector, business, private higher education, and the media. There is now an increasing number of international schools, private colleges, and universities where English is the medium of instruction. It is also common to find both Malaysian print newspapers (e.g. The Star, The New Straits Times, and The Malay Mail) and online news portals in English (e.g. Malaysiakini and Free Malaysia Today). Unlike some countries, television programmes and movies in English are not dubbed in Malay.
Excerpt taken from OED blog post ‘Introduction to Malaysian English’ by Prof Stefanie Pillai

Malaysian English words recently recorded in the OED

The words shown here are free to view. Click on links above to view these words, or explore further using the advanced search (learn how to search the OED here).

Learn more about personal annual subscriptions to the OED

Additional resources

Submit a Malaysian English word to the OED

Use the submissions form below to suggest a Malaysian English word for inclusion in the OED:

World Englishes

Which variety of English does your word belong to?*
E.g. Philippine English, Hong Kong English, Ugandan English
Word or phrase*
e.g. bammy, skinship, bunny hug
What does it mean?*
e.g. an informal social gathering, a street vendor
Is there anything else you'd like to tell us about this word and how it is used?
If you would like to, you can also add a pronunciation transcription here, or there is the option to add a sound file below.
Add a sound file (optional)
Add a file to demonstrate how this word is pronounced.
Drop files here or

Accepted file types: mp4, mp4, wav, aac, flac.

Malaysian English editors and consultants

The OED works in partnership with external experts from or in Malaysia to ensure that our entries for Malaysian English words draw from local knowledge and expertise and reflect the everyday reality and distinctive identity of the Malaysian English-speaking community.

View Malaysian English consultants here

Malaysian English pronunciation

View the OED’s pronunciation model and key to pronunciation for Malaysian English.

Help

For further information and support, visit our help page, or contact us.