Food, music and culture: Why some Singaporeans are choosing to learn Malay
Some adult learners are taking their Malay beyond the beginner level, while one tuition centre is seeing growing demand among younger students.
Mr Johanan Teo and Ms Marisa Lim with their Malay language tutor, Mr Yahya Hamid (right). (Image: CNA)
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SINGAPORE: For Mr Johanan Teo and his girlfriend, Ms Marisa Lim, a shared love of Malay food helped spark a wider interest in the culture – and eventually the language.
“We both really like Malay cuisine. We really like eating at nasi padang stores. We like going to Malaysia to try new food, new Malay food as well,” said Mr Teo, 29, a full-time home chef.
He counts ayam masak merah, a spicy tomato-based chicken dish, among his favourites to cook and eat.
Their interest eventually led them to sign up for conversational Malay classes at their local community club using their SkillsFuture credits this year.
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They are among a steady pool of adult learners picking up the language, some of whom are taking their learning beyond the beginner level.
One tuition centre told CNA it is also seeing growing demand among younger students.
During his National Day Rally last month, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said that given Singapore’s location in the region, it would be valuable for Singaporeans to learn Malay and better appreciate Malay culture.
CONNECTING THROUGH FOOD AND MUSIC
Mr Teo and Ms Lim started with a beginner class, attending a two-hour lesson each week.
Their classmates ranged from young people like themselves to retirees, with learners supporting one another.
“Even when we make a lot of mistakes, or we don’t know how to pronounce certain words. I think the spirit of the classroom was very fun. That’s how we actually got very excited to learn the language over the course,” Mr Teo said.
The lessons also gave him another way of engaging with something already familiar.
“There was one class where cikgu (teacher) actually talked about the kitchen. So different words in Malay in the kitchen, how to say different ingredients in Malay,” he recalled.
For Ms Lim, 26, a project manager, music provided a connection to the language.
She was playing gigs with her band at the time she was attending Malay lessons and would turn up for class with her guitar.
“A few of the gigs that we had were actually during the Hari Raya period, and we played at a few pasar malams,” she said.
The band decided to learn some Malay songs, and Ms Lim recalled the reaction they received when performing them.
“It was very heartwarming to see how our audience really lit up when they realised that we were singing a song in their language.”
CULTURAL APPRECIATION
The couple’s tutor, Mr Yahya Hamid, teaches about 120 adults each week.
Besides in-person lessons at two community clubs, he conducts online classes, allowing him to reach learners across Singapore.
His students range from young professionals to seniors, and he says interest in learning the language has remained steady.
This year, he introduced an advanced course, with a second 10-lesson run already underway.
For Mr Yahya, language and culture go hand in hand.
“When you learn more of the culture as well, you begin to appreciate the language, because within the language also there are cultural elements,” he said.
“I think if people learn the language and also appreciate the culture, they become more motivated to even learn more of the language.”
ADAPTING TO YOUNGER LEARNERS
Interest in Malay lessons also extends to younger learners.
NUSA Language Centre, which runs classes at several locations across Singapore, says enrolment in its Malay tuition classes has grown by about 10 to 15 per cent each year since 2021.
The centre now teaches around 2,000 students in the language, ranging from kindergarten to Secondary 4.
Its principal, Ms Hayati Abdullah, said some students today come to class with less Malay vocabulary than learners in the past.
“In the past, our vocabulary was pretty much there. We just need fine tuning in terms of grammar, in terms of writing better,” she said.
“But for them, they come in with almost, not zero. Very little vocabulary. So I have to meet them somewhere in the middle.”
The centre has adapted its teaching methods, including by drawing on trends and topics that are familiar to younger students.
While teachers previously emphasised using only Malay during mother tongue lessons, with no English words allowed, she said they can no longer take that approach with some students, who have ideas but lack the vocabulary to express them.
For Ms Hayati, however, understanding Malay has value beyond doing well in class.
“It will be very lovely if all Singaporeans have at least some understanding of the language, at the very least to understand our national anthem because it is our shared heritage, you know, the heart of being a Singaporean,” she said.
Source: CNA/mp(ca)
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