Historical Monolingual Assimilation: A Novel Methodology for the Development of a Malaysian Unified Language

Abstract

The implementation of Malay as the national language in Malaysia has not yet resulted in the desired level of unified national identity. The reluctance to use Malay among certain ethnic groups is still driven by the ongoing racial and religious debates. The objective of this article is to present a number of approaches to formulating the language of Malaysia's ideal unity. The research methodology is qualitative, with analytical descriptive reporting. Sources are collected through literature studies on the history and implementation of national languages in multicultural countries. This research suggests a number of approaches have been put forth to create a unifying language. The first is bilingualism, where two languages are used as intermediaries. However, this undermines the continuity of the mother tongue. An additional approach is monolingual assimilation. An alternative approach was proposed: Historical Monolingual Assimilation. This approach eschews political forces and emphasises history. It is considered a superior method of language assimilation and should be applied in Malaysia.