Evolusi Bahasa Melayu

Evolution of Malay Language : 2000 Years

Asas ‘50 Press

2009
Editor Mohamed Pitchay Gani BMAA
Muhammad Jailani Abu Talib
Sub-Editor Siti Raudhah Salleh
Researcher Mohamed Pitchay Gani BMAA
Asst. Researcher Muhammad Jailani Abu Talib
Copywriter Muhammad Herwanto Johari
Designer Muhammad Jailani Abu Talib
Illustrator Amelia Pitchay

Copyright : Asas ‘50 Press

Layout and Formatting : Muhammad Jailani Abu Talib

Published by Asas ‘50 Press, Singapore, www.asas50.com

Asas ‘50 Press disclaims all liability and responsibility for any loss caused to any
person by any act or omission due to the material contained in this publication.

©2009 Asas ‘50 Press, Singapore

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of the
publisher, Asas ‘50 Press, Singapore.
 Contents
Preface v

Introduction vi

Background vii - ix

Directory Map of Exhibition 1

Evolution of Malay Language Chart 2

Map of Nusantara 3

Chapter One : Prehistoric Malay Language 4

Chapter Two : Ancient Malay Language 5

Chapter Three : Classical Malay Language 6 - 8

Chapter Four : Baba Malay Language 9

Chapter Five : Modern Malay Language 10

Chapter Six : SITC Malay Language 11

Chapter Seven : Bahasa Indonesia 12

Chapter Eight : Contemporary Malay Language 13

Chapter Nine : Internet Malay Language 14-16

Notes 17

Bibliography 18

Biography of Researcher 19

Acknowledgements 20

Angkatan Sasterawan ‘50 21-23

 Preface
There is an approximate 300 million speakers of the Malay language, thus making it the fourth biggest
language in the world by virtue of the pool of speakers. It was also previously reported that there is
an approximate 70,000 Malay language speakers in Sri Lanka whereas there is a radio channel in
China based in Malay language. The importance of the Malay language as one of the biggest
languages in the world is further emphasized through the engagement of Malay studies components
and programmes taught in various universities in United Kingdom, United States of America, Australia,
Holland, China, Germany, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia among others. The Malay
language language is also recognised as the national language of four important Southeast Asian
nations including Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and Brunei.

However, though it currently stands as one of the more important languages of the world, the
assured development of the language can only be made possible through constant research on the
subject to promote an increased awareness. Of this, while various researches have been done before
on the various types and variations of the Malay language, Mohamed Pitchay Gani’s research was
the first of its kind to document and observe the morphological and syntactic structure of the Malay
language on the internet. Essentially, this publication was adapted from Mohamed Pitchay Gani’s
Masters thesis research on the subject of E-culture & The Evolution of The Malay Language made in
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Undeniably, due to its limited nature, the book cannot
provide much more than a few snippets of the history of the Malay language and it would be
encouraged for readers to read the original thesis in order to have a better understanding of the
subject discussed. Despite that however, the book is a much needed resource on the history and
developments of the Malay language and contains a wealth of information on the 2000 year old
history of the Malay language from the earliest stone inscriptions to it’s current development as a
modern language heavily used on the internet.

The chapters of this book are diachronically arranged into nine main chapters, spanning through
the six stages of linguistic evolution of the Malay language as proposed by the researcher. The book
documents the nuances that led to the evolution between the Prehistoric Malay language, Ancient
Malay language, Classic Malay language, Modern Malay language, SITC Malay language, Bahasa
Indonesia and the Internet Malay language. The book dwells on the subject of the Internet as a
medium of promoting linguistic awareness amongst users and strengthens the notion of the cyber age
being a phase that could be further exploited to benefit the development of language. As opposed
to the views held by purists, Mohamed Pitchay Gani’s research provides a radically differing view point
and embraces the presence of an e-culture.

It is with little doubt therefore that the publication of this book marks a landmark initiative of
Asas 50 as a leading institute of promoting active use of Malay language. This publication is a testament
of Asas 50’s progressive attitude towards the preservation of Singapore’s national language.

Muhammad Jailani Abu Talib

President
Malay Language Society, University of Malaya
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

v
 Introduction
The Malay language has undergone a comprehensive development spanning 2000 years beginning
from Prehistoric Malay, which consisted of a limited vocabulary 157 word collection, to one which is
now standing at approximately 200,000.
The transformation towards Ancient Malay was initiated by the influence of Sanskrit during the
7th Century and continued to evolve into the Classical Malay language within the 12th to 19th century.
The massive infusion of Arabic lexiconography was catalysed by the move of the Malay royals and
their loyal following to embrace Islam as their collective religion. This fervent shift towards the Arabic
influence proved to mark a timely displacement of the Sanskrit language as the latter was widely
regarded as relatively exclusive and geared towards the intelligentsia and nobles as opposed to
suitably serving the needs of the masses.
The growing presence of Islam also smoothed the path of acceptance of the Arabic language
within the masses. This Classic Period, which is considered as the longest spanning in the history of the
evolution of the Malay language also witnessed the peripheral evolution of the Bintan-Tumasik Malay
language, Riau Malay language, Malacca Malay language, Johor Malay language and Baba Malay
language. The Modern Malay language is regarded as the third stage of its very evolution which
encompassed the birth of the Johor-Riau Malay version whereby classic sentences were first introduced.
The landscape was redrawn with the rise of the SITC Malay language, a newly formed entity
which brought about a clear demarcation between Classic Malay and Riau Malay and the Modern
version that is in use till today. The advent of Za’ba’s grammar publication in 1936 entitled Pelita Bahasa
was instrumental in precipitating this archetypal shift.
The vastly superior numerical advantage of Indonesian Malay speakers meant that the
emergence of the Indonesian language, the Bahasa Indonesia, was likewise an inevitable outcome.
Colonial influences also saw to it that the assimilation of Dutch and English influences compounded
the proliferation of myriad regional languages and dialects in Malaya and Indonesia. This resulted in
the creation of the Indonesian language, an amalgamation of what is fundamentally Malay in
language and Indonesian by culture.
The contemporary age is witness to the latest development of the Malay language with the
onset of the e-culture or the electronic culture era, specifically the internet. The efflorescence of the
variations of the Malay language derived from the synthesis of verbal language and the written word
is testimony to a revolutionary communicative culture that promises to both enthrall and invogorate
the cyber community.
Mohamed Pitchay Gani Bin Mohamed Abdul Aziz
Lecturer
National Institute of Education
Nanyang Technological University

vi
 Background
The Malay Language Situation in Singapore
The Malay language forms one of the four official languages of Singapore and regarded as its national
language. The national language status is reflected in article 153A of the constitution. Despite this
however, Malay language has been a dominant language in the Malay archipelago prior to Singapore’s
independence in 1965. In that respect, the development of the language was similar to the developments
faced in Malaysia and other parts of the Malay region. The language situation however began to
face various differences with the formation of Malaysia in 1963. The differing language policies coupled
with the effects brought about by globalization resulted in changes to the language’s lexical structure
and semantic. This change can be attributed to several factors, namely; contemporary trends and
developments, government policies on language and the governance of the language. The media,
with their stand on language pragmatism, influence of foreign languages and the attitude of
Singaporeans towards the status, role and importance of the language further impacted the significance
of the language.

Intergenerational Language Transmission

Malay language is spoken, in most contexts, by all generations with unbroken intergenerational
transmission. However, bilingualism has made English the more preferred language in communication
especially among the younger generations; be it at home or in schools and at work. In fact grandparents
are no longer a viable source of language retention because they too may have to adjust to current
trends in language acquisition among the younger generations. With more and more parents working,
maids mainly Indonesian is deemed as the next viable source of language acquisition because they
spend the most time with the children. Mixed marriages too affect the transmission of Malay language
to the next generation. Despite the drawbacks, Malay language is notably still safe in the sense that
it is continuously used with unbroken intergenerational transmission in spite of being threatened by
bilingualism and changing trend in parenthood and family tree.
Absolute Number of Speakers

In Singapore, the Malay speaking population constitutes approximately 13.9% of the population in
2005 but gradually reduced to 13.7% in 2007. It is a small group of people that is exposed to influx of
contemporary influences. However, with the rising numbers of immigrants in the community, the
proportion of the Malays will be further reduced. In addition, mixed marriages and change in attitude
affect the vulnerability of Malay language with more and more of the new generation speaking English
language at home and in social networks and religious enclaves. In a survey in 2004 among the primary
one cohort (7 year old students) by the Ministry of Education, it was found that 60% of the Malay
students with at least one graduate parent spoke English at home. Consequently, with the number
of graduates among the Malay population on the rise, the number of absolute speakers may dwindle.
In a household survey done by the Singapore Statistics Department, the number of Malays using Malay
language at home dropped from 91.6% in 2000 to 86.8% in 2005. This proves that Malay language is
being less favoured. Nevertheless, Malay is widely spoken by the Indian Muslims as well. Attempts are
also being made to ameliorate the status of the Malay language. In schools they are many non-Malays
taking up Malay language instead of their mother tongue as well as taking up Malay as an additional

vii
 Background

subject. Employers too are taking up conversational Malay to facilitate conversations with their
Indonesian maids. However, 425,000 speakers as compared to about 4.8 million residents is a far too
small figure. This statistic is barely 15% and the number will decrease further over time. Thus, the potential
of the language losing its traditional enclaves will soon be a reality.

Trends in Existing Language Domains

English is the main language of communication in every aspect of life, primarily in most official domains:
government, public offices, and educational institutions. English is the integral to a number of public
domains, especially in traditional religious institutions, organizations, and places where members of
the community congregate and socialize. The common use of English in communication over time
has resulted in English and Malay languages being used for different functions. Malay language is
used in informal and home contexts whereas the dominant language, English, is used in official and
public contexts. However, the older generation still uses the language significantly. Hence, it can be
concluded that there is a multilingual parity in the existing language domains because two languages
are used in most social domains and for most functions. This evokes code switching and lax in attitude
towards the non-dominant language; Malay language for this instance. The preference in using Singlish
further aggravates the problem and casts a drop in Malay language users.
Response to New Domains and Media

Malay language still prevails in the new domains and media as Singapore promotes multiculturalism.
However, due to its limitation as it encompasses the minority population, the amount of materials in
such new domains and media is also affected. For example, the number of Malay books in national
libraries across Singapore in 2007 is 631,000 as compared to 5.279 million for English. There is only 1
Malay language newspaper with circulation of 61,946 as compared to 9 English newspapers with
circulation of 877, 4727. In the area of education, the curriculum hours set for the learning of Malay
language is 4-5 hours a week as compared to 35 hours at average for subjects which use English as
instructional language. Though Malay language enjoys the same broadcasting time for radio, there
is only 2 Malay radio channels as compared to 14 for English, with one of the Malay radio channels
being bilingual. In addition, the sole Malay television channel only has 8 hours of television airtime as
compared to 24 hours for English channel, which has 10 channels in all. Despite the increase in Internet
usage from 36% (2000) to 61% (2005) and increase in computer users from 49% (2000) to 65% (2005),
the statistics do not commensurate with the multimedia applications available in Malay language as
evident through the lack of software in Malay for education and gaming. Though Malay language
is used in most of the new domains and media, its usage is relatively limited as compared to that of
English. As such, the Malay language network should be steered towards making it dynamic and
foregoing.

viii
 Background

Materials for Language Education and Literacy

There are extensive and comprehensive grammar texts, linguistic fundamentals, reference books and
dictionaries available for users; indicating a constant flow of language materials. Abundant annotated
high-quality audio and video recordings are also made available. The main sources of materials for
Malay language are Indonesia and Malaysia in terms of grammar development as well as creative
works. There are also local publications of creative works. The television and radio, for instance, provide
educational and language materials to a certain extent; be it directly or indirectly. As such, it can be
concluded that materials for Malay language is widely available whether in print or electronic form.
However, the quality of the materials and the standard of the language used may need to be
scrutinized to ensure that the materials are deemed relevant and appropriate for reference.

Governmental and Institutional Language Attitudes and Policies

The government is very supportive of the development of mother tongue language in Singapore
through its education policy. Malay language is a compulsory subject in primary and secondary
schools along with Mandarin and Tamil language. Such support is also prevalent through governmental
institutions such as National Arts Council that provides grants for literary arts activities for the Malay
community. This is indubitably subjected to the initiatives of the Malays themselves to make use of the
grants provided. In many occasions, sporadic non-governmental organizations would initiate the move
for the grants application and conducting of activities that would spur the Malay language. In fact,
the Malay language Month and the Malay Literary Award held one after another once every 2 years
reflects government support through grants allocated to the Malay Language Council Singapore
(MBMS).

Conclusion

The maintenance and promotion of the non-dominant languages may be dictated by the dominant
linguistic culture, namely Mandarin language at national level. It has often been argued that the other
languages, Malay and Tamil, pale in comparison with Mandarin. Currently, English is still the dominant
language which emerges as the linguistic ideology of the state, and in turn inspire the Malay linguistic
minorities to mobilize its population towards the maintenance of the language. However, the efforts
initiated are seemingly among those involved directly with the language, namely educators and
activists, while others may find it an insignificant endeavor. National policy has in any case a direct
impact on the language attitude of the community itself. It can be reckoned that Malay language
is not seen as distinguished nor distinctive even though it is the national language of Singapore. Forming
a small component of the mother tongue system applied in Singapore’s education system, the existence
of the Malay language is interdependent on the policies set out by the government on all the other
mother tongue languages.

ix
 Directory Map

A5

A2 A4 A6

A3

A1

A1 - Evolution of Malay Language Chart

A2 - Map of Nusantara
A3 - Origin of Malay Language - Bintan-Tumasik Malay Language
A4 - Malaccan Malay Language - Baba Malay Language
A5 - SITC Malay Language - Bahasa Indonesia
A6 - Internet Malay Language

1
 Malay Language Evolution Chart

Austris Family

Austroasian Family Austronesian Family China-Tibet Family

East Malenesian Archipelago West Malay Archipelago Family Polynesian Family

Family (Malay Region) (New Zealand)
(Irian and Carolina Islands)

Prehistoric Malay Language (Origin)

Ancient Malay Central Malay Language

Classic Malay Language Malay Dialects

Modern Malay Language Johore-Riau Dialect

Bahasa Indonesia Bahasa Melayu

2
 Map of Nusantara

Thailand

Cambodia Philippines

South China Sea

Sabah
Pe

Brunei
n in
su

k
wa
la
M

ra
a la

Sa
ys
ia

Malacca

Singapore
S

Celebes
u

Riau Islands
m

Borneo
a
tr
a

Indonesia
Batavia
Java

3
 Prehistoric Malay Language

The earliest Malay Language was known as Prehistoric Malay. It consisted of an approximate
collection of 157 Austronesian words. The words below are examples of the terms found
in the Kedukan Bukit Inscription.

Prehistoric Modern English Prehistoric Modern English

nayik naik rise/board dua ratus dua ratus two hundred

samvau sampan sampan dangan dengan with
mengalap menghadap to face mamava membawa to bring
vulan bulan moon sarivu seribu thousand
dari dari from sapulu sepuluh ten
yang yang - tlu telu/tiga three
dua dua two vanakna banyaknya much/many
laksa sepuluh ribu ten thousand di di at
ko ke to datang datang come
vala bala/tentera army marvuat membuat to make
vanua benua/negeri country/region

Kedukan Bukit Stone Inscriptions (7th century)

4
 Ancient Malay Language

The Malay language underwent its first evolution when it accepted Sanskrit
influences which eventually transformed it’s status from Prehistoric to Ancient
in the 7th Century.
The establishment of the Srivijayan kingdom with its vast empire including
Malaya, Ceylon, Borneo, Celebes, Philippines, parts of Formosa (Taiwan) with
added rights on Cambodia and Champa was a major contributing factor
leading to the development of the Malay language as the lingua franca
throughout the whole archipelago. The earliest transcripts of Prehistoric Malay
as illustrated on the Talang Tuwo stone inscription, dated 678 A.D, showed
that the Malay language has started to imbibe Sanskrit influences. (bold
italics in Prehistoric Malay language)

“di assannakala di antara marga

lai temu muweah ya ahara
dngan ayer diminumnya
sawanyaknya wuatnya huma
pariak mancak muwah ya
menghidupi pasu prakara
marhulun tuwi werddhi
muwah ya jangan ya nikenai
sawanyaknya yang upasarga
pidana swapnawigna.” 1

The influence of Sanskritbrought about a linguistic evolution which can be

observed on the Pagar Ruyung, Sumatra stone inscription of 1356 A.D. ,
written in Indian characters. It was oberved :
the word tida became tyada,
the frontal prefix of mar and ni became ber and di,
marvuat became berbuat
niparvuat became diperbuat

This stage marked a substantial shift in the evolution of the Malay language
as an agglutinative language with the inclusion of affixes. The basis of this
change could be attributed to the wider range of Sanskrit vocabulary which
was crucial in forming a more structured and expansive references, and
explanations as compared to the limited vocabulary of Prehistoric Malay.
Gold statue of Avalokiteshvara from the
Melayu-Srivijaya era (8th century)

5
 Classic Malay Language
Second Evolution (12th to 19th Century)

The second evolution of the Malay language began with the infusion of Arabic vocabulary into
the Malay language. The 12th to 19th century was renowned as the illustrious ruling era of the
Malay kingdom and notably the longest in the history of the development of the language
spanning 700 years.

Bintan-Tumasik Malay Language

(12th to 19th Century)

The post Srivijaya era, known as Bintan-Tumasik is regarded as the transition period between the
Ancient Malay language and the Classic language. This is backed by the evidentiary Minye
Tujoh, Acheh tombstone dated 1350 whereby the growing influence of the Arab language
began to stamp its mark over the Ancient Malay language. The text in bold below shows the
usage of Arabic words.
“hijrat nabi mungstapa yang prasida
tujuh ratus asta puluh sawarsa
haji catur dan dasa wara sukra
raja iman warda (?) rahmat-Allah
gutra barubasa mpu hak kadah pase ma
taruk tasih tanah samuha
ilahi ya rabbi tuhan samuha
taruh dalam swarga tuhan tatuha.” 2

Minye Tujoh, Acheh tombstone (14th century)

6
 Classical Malay Language
Second Evolution (12th to 19th Century)

Malaccan Malay Language

(14th to 15th Century)
The second evolution remains the single biggest leap towards a civilised language that contributed
towards the creation of Modern Malay language and the Johore-Riau dialect. The usage of
Arabic terminology was prevalent especially on the Kuala Berang inscription in Terengganu dated
1303 A.D and 1397 A.D. The Arabic-Malay combination gradually reduced Sanskrit’s influence.
Below is a sample of the text :
“Rasul Allah dengan orang... bagi mereka...
ada pada Dewata Mulia Raya beri hamba meneguhkan
agama Islam dengan benar bicara derma meraksa bagi
sekalian hamba Dewata Mulia Raya di benuaku ini penentu
agama Rasul Allah Salla'llahu'alaihiwa Sallama Raja mandalika
yang benar bicara sebelah Dewata Mutia Raya di dalarn”
3

The development of the Ancient Malay language ceased in the 11th century. An example
of the Classic Malay language is as follows :

Ancient Classic English

adapun perihal about

ajab harian daily
ayapan makanan food
berahi cinta love
berkenan setuju agree
bersiram mandi bathe
gering sakit pain
betara raja king
inderaloka syurga heaven

Malaccan Palace (15th century)

7
 Classical Malay Language
Second Evolution (12th to 19th Century)

Johore Malay Language

(16th to 17th Century)

The following era highlighted the burgeoning maturity of the Malay language which led to the
creation of the Johor-Riau dialect, a combination of the Riau Malay language and Johore dialect.
Its potential was further augmented and recognised when it was chosen to be the standard
language used by Radio Malaya and Radio Television Malaysia. The following is an excerpt from
Sultan Abu Hayat, king of Ternate’s letter, written in Johore Malay language :
“...Kemudian daripada itu adapun Kapitan Pedro Villaumont Gardin itu, ia
singgah ke Terengganu mendapatkan beta, hendak bersahabat dengan
beta, hendak berniaga dalam Terengganu. Inilah maka beta memberi surat
kepada Louis Quinze Roi de France et de Navarre, kalau hendak berniaga
dalam Terengganu, barang dagangan yang ada dalam Terengganu itu
beta tolong carikan. Kemudian dari itu jikalau ada kasih serta tolong Louis
Quinze Roi de France et de Navarre akan beta, minta tolong barang yang
ketidakan kepada beta seperti bedil dan ubat bedil dan peluru...”4
Letter of Sultan Abu Hayat Ternate
1522 A.D

Johore-Riau Malay Language

(17th to 19th Century)
The Riau-Lingga governing period of 200 years acted as a catalyst for the dissemination and
transmission of the Johore-Riau Malay language within the archipelago and other areas. This period
was instrumental in inculcating the ‘Riau value’ within the Malay language in its rise towards its
exalted status as the National Language of Indonesia, a direct culmination of Sumpah Pemuda in
1928. This was only made possible through its widespread usage in writings and as the lingua franca
of the archipelago. The following is a sample of a Johore-Riau Malay text:

‘…Arakian maka adalah barang siapa raja2 Inggeris yang diam di Singapura atau Melaka atau
Pulau Pinang yang biasa mendapat surat2 kiriman daripada raja2 Melayu atau orang Melayu,
maka selalu dilepaskannya puji2ian yang dalam surat itu sebab diketahuinya tiada berguna
adanya, melainkan dicarinya perkataan isi surat itu yang di bawah sahaja, hanya hilanglah dan
terbuang penat telah orang yang menyurat itu sahaja. Sebermula jikalau dalam setahun berpuluh2
surat yang dikirimkan oleh seorang raja itu [h.58] niscaya terlalulah banyak hilang pekerjaan dan
cuma(2) penat lelah terbuang adanya. Karena suatupun dalam segala puji2ian itu orang Eropah
itu tiada ingin membaca atau orang yang berakal baik barang bangsa pun akan surat yang
demikian (itu)...” 5

8
 Baba Malay Language

The Baba Malay language was yet another development precipitated by the second
evolution of the Malay language, a development effected by the infusion of the Chinese
language into the Malay vocabulary despite being relatively limited in its usage. Some of
the Chinese words which were absorbed into the Malay vocabulary are dacing, kuntau,
kongsi, loteng, tongkong, toge, tauco, toke, mi, teko, tahu and sampan.

This infusion which led to the creation of yet another new offshoot in the 15th century had
produced a further modification of selected Malay words such as munda (muda), mungka
(muka), pinjak (pijak) dan sendawa (sedawa). The meanings of certain Malay terms are also
augmented when used within the Baba Malay context.

Baba Malay Meaning in Malay Meaning in Baba Malay

rezeki income or basic necessity fortune or good luck

benua vast swathe of land complete astonishment
sekarang right this moment later

Kou Chey Tian (Monkey), translated into

Baba Malay language

9
 Modern Malay Language
Third Evolution (15th to 19th Century)

The third evolution of the Malay language was borne out of western influences such as
Portuguese (1511), Dutch (1614) and English (1824).

Portuguese influence: ‘baldi (pail), beranda (veranda), bangku (stool), bola (ball), bomba
(firefighter), dadu (dice), garpu (fork), gereja (church), jendela (window), kemeja (shirt),
keju (cheese), meja (table), merinyu (auxillary police), rnentega (butter), mandur (supervisor),
minggu (week), lampu (light), lelong (sale), paderi (clergyman), peluru (bullet), pita
(cassette), palsu (fake), pidato (speech), roda (wheel), sepatu (shoe), sekolah (school),
tuala (towel).’
Dutch influence: ‘dam (draughts), duit (money), kamar
(room), kantor (office), laci (drawer), petekat (Cordia
Dichotoma), persen (percent), pelesir (jolly) dan senapang
(rifle).’

English influence: ‘audit (audit), botol (bottle), bil (bill),

buku (book), brek (brake), bas (bus), basikal (bicycle),
diploma (diploma), drebar (driver), elaun (allowance),
enjin (engine), gelas (glass), gabenor (governor), geran
(grant), hotel (hotel), kopi (coffee), kolej (college), kelas
(class), lesen (license), lori (lorry), motokar (motorcar),
mesin (machine), mancis (match), opera (opera), pin
(pin), pensel (pencil), pencen (pension), pas (pass), resit
(receipt).’

Statue of Sir Stamford Raffles

10
 SITC Malay Language
Fourth Evolution (19th Century)

The establishment of Sultan Idris Training College (SITC) at Tanjung Malim in 1922 brought about
a maturing form of the Riau Malay language. It eventually gave birth to the presence of
Modern Malay language; the grammar publication of Za’ba’s Pelita Bahasa in 1936 being its
catalyst. SITC Malay took on a more active format as compared to Riau Malay. Below is a
comparison of both.

RIAU LANGUAGE SITC LANGUAGE

Tiada akan datang kepadaku si Zahid Si Umar datang kepadaku tetapi si Zahid
tetapi si Umar datang. tidak

Si Zahid di atasnya hutang. Si Zahid menanggung hutang.

Telah memukul oleh si Umar akan Zahid. Umar telah memukul si Zahid.

Duduk aku akan masjid akan hari Jumaat; Pada hari Jumaat, aku duduk di masjid,
duduk aku di belakang di belakang raja.

RIAU SITC English

antuk kantuk > mengantuk sleepy

endap hendap> mengendap peep
ambik ambil > mengambil take
nasik nasi rice
Pendeta Za’ba,
maknusia manusia man
author of Pelita kecik kecil small
Bahasa ogot ugut > mengugut, terugut threaten

Official logo of
Sultan Idris Training College (SITC)

Pengetahuan Suloh Budiman

11
 Bahasa Indonesia
Fifth Evolution (19th Century)

The Modern Malay language also witnessed the dawning of the Indonesian language, a
repercussion of the Anglo-Dutch Treaty in 1824 which divided the Malay archipelago between
the spheres of influence of the Dutch and the British. The Malay language continued its selective
integration of terms from the colonial languages until 1928, when the terms for the Indonesian
language were hereby formed. The following are some examples of the differences in terms.

Terminology Borrowed Terminology

Indonesian Malay English Indonesian Malay English

sopir drebar driver apel epal apple

mesin enjin machine listrik elektrik electric
ban tayar tyre musik muzik music
ketik taip type otomatik automatik automatic
karcis tiket ticket psikologi psikologi psychology
sepeda basikal bicycle telepon telefon telephone
sore petang afternoon

Affixed Terminology
fiksi fiksyen fiction
konvensi konvensyen convension
televisi televisyen television
fakultas fakulti faculty
kualitas kualiti quality
universitas universiti university

Bas Relief depicting the political cycle of

Indonesia

Indonesian Wayang Kulit

12
 Contemporary Malay Language
(1930 - 2000)

The fifth evolution played a crucial role as the main stimulus of Contemporary Malay
language in the century that followed. The usage of Classic Malay gradually diminished,
displaced by that of English terminology which started at the beginning of this era. Below
are some examples chronicling the textual development over 100 years.

1933 ‘Dengan sa-imbas lalu di-menongkan nasib peruntongan bangsa kita pada
masa ini telah nyata-lah bangsa kita sedang terghochoh2 berjalan bertateh
menapak ke-jalan kemajuan yang telah ditinggalkan berpuluh2 peratus mile...akan
tetapi waktu yang kita gunakan itu chuma 10 persen sahaja...’ (Majallah Guru) 6

1941 ‘Chuba-lah fikirkan sa-mula renchana di-dalam makalah pengarang Majallah

Guru bulan April 1941. Ya, saya agak tujuan2 di dalam renchana itu saperti fund
scholarship itu telah sampai masa-nya di-asaskan.’ (Majallah Guru) 7

1958 ‘...Tetapi ilmu pengetahuan baharu yang berasal daripada penyelidekan sa-
saorang ahli science seperti ilmu2 tentang electric, bomb atom, kapal-terbang
dll tidaklah termasok dalam kepandaian yang di-maksudkan dalam kebudayaan.’
(Buku “Teras Kebudayaan Nasional”) 8

1964 ‘...Adalah diramalkan bahawa bentuk esei akan menchapai tingkat seni sastera
yang lebeh di-sukai apabila esei2 berchorak sabjektif mengambil tempat yang
bergaya objektif...Tetapi mereka maseh belum berani benar dan achapkali
bersifat “non-commital” di-dalam masa mengarang esei2 yang mempunyai isi
yang agak controversial.’ (Buku “Renongan”) 9

1972 ‘Muhammad Ali, bekas johan tinju heavyweight dunia, akan melawan Danny
McAlinden di-England dalam bulan Mei depan...demikian diumumkan oleh
Promoter British, Jack Solomons di-sini semalam.’ (Berita Harian 1 Januari) 10

1982 ‘...tulisan kreatif-imaginatif memerlukan penggunaan atau gaya bahasa yang

kreatif dan imaginatif, iaitu bahasa yang memenuhi konsep foregrounding,
mengandungi nilai-nilai estetik yang tinggi...’ (Buku “Simposium Dialek”) 11

1993 ‘Dalam suasana dominon Inggeris, tidak hairanlah masyarakat Melayu

Singapura...bergantung kepada motivasi dan komitmen seseorang itu sendiri
untuk dan mendalami bahasa itu secara sedar.’ (Buku “Pesan”) 12

2003 ‘...kehadiran kata sebagai punca kreativiti atau pencapaian seni...keyakinan itu
bertukar menjadi sesuatu idealisme yang kuat...seorang politikus yang realis,
pernah menjadi seorang yang begitu idealis.’ (Buku “Seminar Bahasa dan
Sastera”) 13

13
 Internet Malay Language
Sixth Evolution (20th Century)

The developments over 2000 years have concocted what is known as the Internet Malay language,
the last evolution which has taken place in the virtual realm. Major changes have been actualised
in terms of word, sentence and meaning as seen in the following examples.

The early stage began with the abbreviation of terms.

Internet Standard

tak tidak (no)

saja sahaja (just)
duk duduk (sit)
gini begini (like this)
gitu begitu (like that)
mau mahu (want)
reti mengerti (understand)

The intermediate stage brought about the assimilation of colloquial verbal language.
Internet Standard

amik ambil (take)

antar hantar (send)
bace baca (read)
mane mana (where)
same sama (same)
kecik kecil (small)
ape apa (what)
hotak otak (brain)

The next development showed an intentional distortion/diddification of pronounciation.

Internet Standard

caye percaya (believe)

camni macam ini (like this)
camtu macam itu (like that)
teypon telefon (telephone)
keng-kawan kawan-kawan (friends)
cedap sedap (nice)
amik atti ambil hati (impress)
pompan perempuan (female)
mepek merepek (nonsense)

14
 Internet Malay Language
Sixth Evolution (20th Century)

Modifications made as according to phonological structure

Internet Standard

seryuz serius (serious)

lepaz lepas (after)
wajibz wajib (compulsory)
sayer saya (I)
biler bila (when)
kiter kita (we)
nyer nya -

The conception of the Internet Malay language reached full advancement with the advent of
specific terminology specially created for the Internet.

Internet Standard

om orang (person)
ngan dengan (with)
je sahaja (just)
ur awak (you)
lak pula -
kerker ketawa kecil (chuckle)
hmmm sedang berfikir (thinking)
ha x 9999999 ketawa terbahak-bahak (laughing out loud)

The advent of symbolic representation as below:

Internet Meaning

:) smile
:( sad smile
:P cheeky smile
:))) laughing
:O shocked
n end of conversation

15
 Internet Malay Language
Sixth Evolution (20th Century)

The following are sentences which have undergone structural modification for internet
usage:

Internet Language Verbal Language

Korang kenal siti ker tak nie ? Kamu kenal siti atau tidak ?

Masok sekolah nanti kol brape ha? Engkau masuk sekolah pukul berapa, ha ?

Kimsalam kat budak2 tu ehh Engkau kirim salam dekat budak-dudak itu ya.

Air liurz startlah melilih time buka puasa. Air liur mulalah melilih pada masa buka puasa.

Baru nak mintak pic you dah nak out Baru minta gambar awak dah nak keluar

U werking ke ? Awak bekerja ke ?

I think I ever chat ngan u. Saya rasa saya pernah berbual dengan awak.

C ya (See you) Jumpa lagi

Me gtg (Me got to go) Saya perlu beredar

Oic (Oh! I see) Oh! Begitu

Me bf gone (Me boyfriend gone) Saya tiada lagi teman lelaki

Bsk skl tak Besok sekolah tak

jgn tel ku gi Jangan telefon aku lagi

bye Selamat tinggal

tk terima kasih

16
 Notes

1 A message from a ruler to his people. The inscription advises his majesty’s subjects to care for themselves.

2 The inscription on the tomb of Ratu Acheh documented the death of her majesty. “gutra barubasa mpu hak kadah
pase ma” referred to the families who embraced Islam and governs Kedah and Pasai. The above can be reasoned with
an understanding of Acheh being part of the Main Kingdom of Raja Siam (Müsli) Beruas Melayu Tua Gangga, Negara
Kedah Pasai Ma Empire who appointed Sultans from its siblings to rule its territory and waters. Rulers of this Empire is known
as Shyah Alam Yang Maha Mulia, descendants from the Persians and Siamese Muslim Empire.

3 The inscriptions are in Arabic - Malay believed to be written on the 22nd February 1303. Among the inscriptions on
the stone are the ten Islamic laws and their punishments.

4 An excerpt from a letter written by the king of Ternate for the king of Portugese. On the letter, he revealed important
informations to the Portugese, such as political fluctuation that happened in the kingdom next to Ternate, Tidore kingdom.
The king who wrote this letter, Sultan Abu Hayat, wrote the letter in Malay with the use of Jawi script.

5 A call made for the Malay kings, leaders and people to stop all activities of praising the Europeans.

6 “It can be observed, our society has slowly but steadily progressing to a better state of which we have left miles
away. .however, the time that we have used stands at only ten percent” (Majallah Guru)

7 “Think again of the article fitted in April 1941’s edition of Majallah Guru. Yes, I believe that it is time for a fund
scholarship to be set up as suggested in the article” (Majallah Guru)

8 “But new knowledge rooted in the research of scientists such as the knowledge of electric, atomic bombs,
aeroplanes and many others can not be included in the field of cultural study.” (Book, Teras Kebudayaan Kebangsaan)

9 “It is foreseen that essays would reach the level of the more favoured literature when subjective natured essays
replace objective ones. But, they have not really dared and often has a “non-committal” attitude when he writes essays
that are relatively controversial” (Book, Renongan)

10 “Muhammad Ali, former heavyweight boxing world champion would be fighting Danny McAlinden in England on
next Maya…that was the announcement made by British Promoter, Jack Solomons here yesterday.” (Berita Harian, 1 Januari
1972)

11 “Creative-imaginative writings require the use or style of a creative and imaginative language, which is a language
that fulfills the concept of foregrouding. It contains a high aesthetic value…” (Book, Simposium Dialek)

12 “In an English dominant environment, it is not surprising that the Malay community in Singapore…relies on personal
motivation and commitment to…and studies the language consciously.“ (Book, Pesan)

13 “The presence of words as a source of creativity or art achievement…confidence becomes a strong idealism..a
politician who is realistic, once becoming someone who is very idealistic. (Book, Seminar Bahasa dan Sastera)

17
 Bibliography

Abdullah Hassan. 1986. Penerbitan Kata dalam Bahasa Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur : Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka
Amat Juhari Moain. 1996. Perancangan Bahasa : Sejarah Aksara Jawi. Kuala Lumpur : Dewan
Bahasa dan Pustaka
Asmah Hj Omar. 1992. Kajian dan Perkembangan bahasa Melayu. Kuala Lumpur : Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka
_______. 2008. Ensiklopedia Bahasa Melayu. Kuala Lumpur : Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka
David Crystal. 1993. The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language. USA : Cambridge
D.G.E Hall. 1955. A History of South-East Asia. London : Macmillan
Haji Ibrahim Ismail. 1987. A Brief History of Kedah. Kedah : Universiti Utara Malaysia
Ismail Hussein. 1984. Sejarah Pertumbuhan Bahasa Kebangsaan Kita. Kuala Lumpur: Dewan
Bahasa dan Pustaka
J.S. Badudu. 1980. Membina Bahasa Indonesia Baku 2. Bandung : Pustaka Prima
Koh Boh Boon. 1982. Pendidikan Imbuhan : Suatu Pengenalan. Kuala Lumpur : Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka
Mohamed Pitchay Gani BMAA. 2002. Melayu Singapura dalam Kritikan – Isu Bahasa dan Bangsa. Singapura:
Angkatan Sasterawan 50.
_____. 2004. Tesis MA bertajuk E-Kultur dan Evolusi Bahasa Melayu. Singapura. Universiti Teknologi Nanyang
_____. 2007. Evolusi 2000 Tahun Bahasa Melayu dari Zaman Purba ke Budaya Elektronik. Perak: Universiti
Pendidikan Sultan Idris
Nik Safiah Karim 1986. Bahasa Melayu : Persoalan dan pergolakan. Kuala Lumpur : Gateway Publishing House
Sdn. Bhd.
Muhammad Ariff Ahmad. 1992. Sejarah Perkembangan bahasa Melayu di Singapura. Kertas
kerja bagi bengkel “Sejarah Bahasa Melayu dari Pelbagai Kota” anjuran Dewan Bahasa dan Pustakan
dan Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur.
Noriah Mohamed. 1998. Sosiolinguistik Bahasa Melayu Lama. Pulau Pinang: Universiti Sains Malaysia.
Omar Amin Husin. 1962. Sejarah Bangsa dan Bahasa Melayu. Kuala Lumpur: Pustaka Antara
Raja Haji Mukhtaruddin Bin Raja Md Dain. 1976. Tesis PHD bertajuk Pembinaan Bahasa
Melayu – Satu Pengkajian Khusus Mengenai Perancangan Bahasa di Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur. Universiti
Malaya.
Sukaryditisna. 1962. Bahasa Dan Kebangsaan. Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka
Sulaiman Hj Noordin & Suzanah Abdullah. 1978. Teori Evolusi : Suatu Fakta atau Asas Ideologi. Kuala Lumpur.
Akademi Sains Islam Malaysia.
Tham Seong Chee. 1990. A Study of the Evolution of the Malay Language : Social Change and Cognitive
Development. Singapore: Singapore University Press.
Zabedah Awang Ngah. 1964. Antologi Esei Melayu Dalam Tahun 1924-1941. Kuala Lumpur : Dewan Bahasa
dan Pustaka.

18
 Biography of Researcher
Mohamed Pitchay Gani Bin Mohd Abdul Aziz

Mohamed Pitchay Gani Bin Mohamed Abdul Aziz is a lecturer with the
National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University. He is
coordinator for the Special Training Programme (Mother Tongue). He is also
the President of Angkatan Sasterawan 50 (Writers’ Movement ‘50) and its
Head of Research and Development. He is a life member of the Golden
Key National Honor Society (USA). As an author, critic, language activist
and resource person on issues and documents relating to the Singapore
Malays; he is involved in many national initiatives in the areas of language
and literature
Mohamed Pitchay received his Diploma in Education from National Institute of
Education, Nanyang Technological University in 1992, Bachelor of Malay Studies from the
Academy of Malay Studies, University of Malaya in 1999, and Masters of Arts from Nanyang
Technological University in 2004. He is currently pursuing PHD in the Faculty of Language and
Linguistics University of Malaya in the area of language change – language vitality. His
research paper recently received the “Best Conference Paper Award” by the International
Journal of Arts and Sciences in the American-Canadian Conference for Academic Discipline
in Toronto (2009). He is also the recipient of the Young Laureate Award in 2006 for his
contributions in the area of Malay language and literature.

His credentials in Malay language teaching, learning and research span a wide
spectrum in the area of education, activism, organizations, and national mainstream
movements. He lectures and trains trainee teachers in the area of Malay studies and
pedagogy in the National Institute of Education; runs post war national organization for
writers in language and literature (Angkatan Sasterawan ’50); resource person for Malay
language and literature for National Library Board, National Arts Council, National Book
Development Council Singapore, Mediacorp television and radio; honorary secretary of the
Malay Language Council Singapore; member of the Malaysia-Brunei-Indonesia (MABBIM)
executive committee for Malay language; resident writer Linguistic Journal Language and
Literary Agency of Brunei Darussalam; researcher and presenter in regional and international
conferences on Language and literature; wide publications and editorship; initiator of new
programmes for preservation and expansion of national heritage.

In the area of research, he pionereed the use of neo-Darwinian theory in linguistics,

in the region, to investigate the mechanical and biological formation of morphological
structures in language. His contemporary research traces the 2000 years development of
Malay language in South-East Asia. His current research dwells in the area of language vitality
where he applied UNESCO’s framework in language vitality factors.

19
Acknowledgements
The Evolution of Malay Language : 2000 Years Project Committee
and The Malay Heritage Centre wishes to thank everyone involved
for their invaluable contributions to the success of the project. Due
to the overwhelming support, the list is too long to name everyone,
but special thanks go out to the following persons and organizations :

Researcher Special Thanks

Mr. Mohd Pitchay Gani Bin Mohd Abdul Aziz Mr. Zainul Abidin Rasheed,
Senior Minister of State,
Assistant Researcher & Exhibition Designer Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Muhammad Jailani Abu Talib
Prof. Dato’ Dr. Aminah Ayob
Contributors Vice-Chancellor,
Prof. Emeritus Dato’ Dr. Asmah Haji Omar Sultan Idris Education University (UPSI),
Prof. Emeritus Dato’ Dr. Mohd Taib Osman Perak
Prof. Dr. Bukhari Lubis
Dr. Muhammad Ariff Ahmad Mr. Eddy Noor Hassan,
Drs. Masran Sabran General Manager,
Mr. Abdul Samat Ali Malay Heritage Centre
Ms. Amelia Pitchay
Mr. Juffri Supa’at Ms. Seah Suat Eng
Mr. Khalid Shukor Head of Special Training Programme (MT),
Ms. Liyana Taha National Institute of Education,
Mr. Mohamed Latiff Mohamed Nanyang Technological University
Mr. Mazelan Anuar
Mr. Muhammad Herwanto Johari
Ms. Nirwana Haliza Organizations
Mr. Noorhaqmal Mohd. Noor Angkatan Sasterawan ‘50 (Asas ‘50)
Mr. Nur Afifi Mohamed Taib Asas ‘50 Youth Wing
Ms. Nur Wahidah Lee Foundation
Mr. Yazid Hussein Malay Heritage Centre
Ministry for Culture, Youth and Sports
Ministry for Information, Communication & The Arts
National Heritage Board
National Arts Council
Islamic Religious Council of Singapore
National Institute of Education
National Library Board
Malay Language Society, University of Malaya
Sultan Idris Education University, Malaysia

20
 Angkatan Sasterawan ‘50

The Writers' Movement '50 (Angkatan Sasterawan '50) or better known as Asas '50 is the first and oldest literary
association in post-war Malaya and the Malay region. Founded on 6th August 1950, Asas '50 represented the
voice of the community and utilizes literature as the ideal thrust towards the independence of Malaya in 1957.
The association's philosophy of “Art For The Society” formed the shaped the developmental framework of
Modern Malay literature. The literary body was pioneered by Muhammad Ariff Ahmad (MAS), Kamaluddin
Muhammad (Keris Mas), Abdul Wahab Muhammad (Awamil-Sirkam), Abdul Jalil Haji Nor (Merayu Rawan),
Munir Ali (Rosmera), Kumasi Haji Dainuri (Teruna Jaya), Abdul Majid Husain (Hamzah), Masuri Salikun (Masuri
S.N), Abu Yamin Kasun, Ahmad Ramli Abdul Karim (Ramlimah), Muhammad Daud and Muhammad Yusof
Yaacob (Jim).

With a vision to become a dynamic institution of language and literature, Asas ’50 consistently honours
its mission to instill literary sense into the community through a series of seminars, courses, discourses, talks,
competitions and awards. The materialisation of these concepts and events include Kongres Bahasa (Language
Congress), Pertemuan Sasterawan Nusantara (Regional Literati Meet), Dialog Selatan (Southern Dialogue),
Dialog Penulis (Dialogue Penulis), Hadiah Sastera (Literature Award), Seminar Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran
Bahasa (Languge Teaching and Learning Seminar), Pertemuan Penulis Singapura (Singapore Writers’ Meet),
Pertemuan Puisi Temasik (Temasik Poetry Meet), and Perkampungan Sastera (Literature Festival). Today, there
is a paradigm shift in initiating national oriented events on a more holistic level with the aim of nationalising
Malay literature in order for it to stay relevant and pragmatic. Asas ’50 reaches the society and schools through
various initiatives such as Community & School Outreach Programme and the employment of BPT : Belajar-
Praktik-Terbit (Learn-Practise-Publish) through the various courses organised.

A historically significant contribution of Asas ’50 was in the romanisation of the Malay language. With
the success of Kongres Bahasa ke-3 (Third Language Congress) in 1956, romanised texts were used extensively
in Malay language atop the use of Jawi script in the region. In the 1970s, Asas ’50 initiated the Hadiah Sastera
Now referred to as Anugerah Persuratan (Literature Award) and Pertemuan Sasterawan Nusantara (Regional
Literati Meet). Today, Asas ’50 shapes the publishing trend of modern texts through the publication of landmark
initiatives such as Leksikon : Direktori Penulis Singapura Pasca 1965 (Leksikon, Post 1965 Singapore Writers
Directory), Sanggan Budaya, collection of working papers for Pertemuan Sasterawan Nusantara ke-12 and
a biography of Asas ’50, Dari Gerhana ke Puncak Purnama.

Asas ’50 is also one of the main reference resources for National Library Board, Singapore for various
projects such as Singapore Literary Pioneers Gallery, NLB Online Repository of Artistic Works (NORA) Database
Collection for Malay Writers and Manuscript, portraits of Tun Seri Lanang, and Tekad Pena. Asas ’50 also works
closely with National Arts Council, Singapore as a reference resource and prime mover of national initiatives
such as the Singapore Writers’ Festival and International Writers’ Residency Programme.

21
20
 Angkatan Sasterawan ‘50

The formation of Asas ’50 youth wing marked another historic chapter in the development of a fresh and vibrant
literary scene in Singapore. Among its initiatives are Pertandingan Eja Tepat (Spelling Bee), Sayembara Membina Kata (Word
Formation Competition), Sahibba ‘Siapa Cepat Dia Dapat’ (Scrabble ‘Elimination’), Graftera (Graffiti-Literature), Sayembara
Kurik Kundi Merah Saga (Proverbs Competition), edu-theatre programme – Nadim, Sayembara Noktah Putih (White Dot
Writing Competition) and Sayembara Novel Temasek (Temasek Novel Competition). Through the conceptualisation and
execution of youth oriented initiatives, Asas ’50 embraced globalisation as a growing phenomenon and utilises the internet
as a medium of promoting literature and language. With a clear plan and vision, Asas ‘50’s official website, was formed.
Notably, the internet has inspired various youth driven projects such as Sayembara Potret Sajak (Photo-Poet) and Graftera;
two projects that hold potentials to shape a new trend in the Malay literature scene.

In 2008, Asas ’50 carved history with the success of its societal natured programme – Bibliotherapy, which
witnessed the production of short stories penned by youths of high risks. In 2009, it endeavoured with the
employment of poetic mechanisms through national projects and initiaves such as Heartland Poet for secondary
school students.

Asas ‘50’s mark of literary excellence was immortalized in the Singapore Encyclopedia, Wikipedia and
Kamus Dewan, as a testament of its impactful presence. It was also honoured with the President Charity Gold
Cup Race award in 2005 and 2007 and became the first literary organization to be part of its Asia Pacific Breweries
Foundation Arts Inspire Programme 2008-2010.

Asas ’50 Landmark Initiatives

1950 Formation of Asas ’50
1952 Kongres Bahasa Pertama (First Language Congress)
1954 Kongres Bahasa Kedua (Second Language Congress)
1956 Kongres Bahasa Ketiga (Third Language Congress)
1966 Kongres Pertama Bahasa Kebangsaan Singapura (First Singapore National Language Congress)
1973 Perkhemahan Sastera Pertama (First Literature Festival)
1977 Launch of Pertemuan Sasterawan Nusantara I (First Regional Literati Meet)
1991 Pertemuan Sasterawan Nusantara VII (Seventh Regional Literati Meet)
2000 Dialog Selatan III (Third Southern Dialogue)
2001 Launch of Malay studies journal Melayu ‘Aktivis’ 1

22
20
 Angkatan Sasterawan ‘50

2003 Formation of Asas ’50 youth wing

2003 Pertemuan Sasterawan Nusantara ke XII (Twelfth Regional Literati Meet)
2003 Signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with National Library Board (NLB)
2003 Launch of Asas ’50 official website
2004 First Youth Meet
2005 Launch of Leksikon
2005 Asas ’50 55 years celebration
2005 Engaging Malay language through Malay literature seminar
2006 Signing of MOU with Sultan Idris Education University (UPSI)
2006 Launch of sayembara Noktah Putih I (White Dot writing competition)
2007 Launch of sayembara Novel Temasek I (Temasek Novel writing competition)
2007 Launch of Santai Sastera (Literature Retreat)
2007 Staging of Matahari Malam (Evening Sun – Masuri SN)
2007 Launch of Sanggan Budaya
2008 Asas ’50 youth wing 5 years anniversary celebration
2008 Launch of Bibliotherapy at Pertapis
2008 Staging og Bisikan Nadim (Nadim’s whisper – Yazid Hussein)
2008 Launch of first science fiction anthology of short stories - Scrinik
2008 Launch of Graftera and Fototera
2008 Launch of Language and Literature Olympic initiative
2009 Launch of Heartland-Poet
2009 Launch of International Arts Residency programme with NAC

23
20