Why English in Malaysia?

Following the extensive influence by the British Empire in the 18th century, the English language has been widely propagated throughout many nations. Eventually, it became one of the international languages of the world and is used by most nations to communicate and understand each other. Our command of English as Malaysians has seen a vast improvement throughout the years. We Malaysians are quite extraordinary. From speaking in broken English, we have learnt the proper usage of English. Later on, we even created a whole new language- Malaysian English or more commonly known as Manglish. English arrived in Malaysia back when the British colonised this country. All the local authorities at that time, including the rulers and ministers had to learn the language, in order to gain a foothold in the administration of the country. Independence fighters, such as Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun H. S. Lee and Tun Abdul Razak Hussein used their knowledge of English to negotiate with the British in order to gain Malaysia’s long-awaited independence. Their efforts and dedication paid off when the British agreed to let go of their hold on our country. Without the fighters’ strong grasp of English, our country will not be able to be free from colonisation, and we as the citizens will not be able to stand proud on our own land.

In modern times, the English language is becoming increasingly popular each day. Its large vocabulary which is derived from many origins throughout the history of time presents a language which is not only rich, unique and meaningful, but also fun and interesting to learn.

In most countries, the ability to converse in English fluently simply earns you respect from the people around you. The same goes for our own country, Malaysia. If you are able to speak and write in English, doors of opportunities are flung open for you. Why, you ask? That's because English is literally everywhere, and I really mean everywhere! When on a vacation, take the time to look