Links to learn and practice Bahasa Melayu

Malay or Bahasa Melayu is the national language in my country, Malaysia. Our Federal Constitution Act 152 has a provision to protect this language. However, pidgin English and international English has widely been spoken alongside Bahasa Melayu in urban areas of our capital, Kuala Lumpur.

Most of the historical non-Malays in some of the traditional Malaysian Malay states actually had adapted themselves to regional Malay language and customs. Some of these non-Malays such as half-blood descents or peranakans even went as far as becoming crusaders of the Malay language or state nationalists although they were not fully natives to the land. They were very fierce in protecting the language and linking the proficiency to speak and write in the language as a symbol of loyalty to the land that they called home.

There are not many links to study the Malay language which shows how pathetic Malay has become at the hand of Malaysian administrators as compared to her neighbour, Indonesia who actively promotes her national language, Bahasa Indonesia (the basis of Bahasa Indonesia was Bahasa Melayu). Please click links that I have compiled below to learn basic Malay.

Malaysia

Basic Malay
Malaysian Malay language bodies
Television and Radio

The primary media company in Malaysia is controlled by the Government although it is treated as a private sector. Media Prima is one of them. It is a fully integrated media company. 
Publications

These are publication companies publishing books and written materials in Malay. Most of them are private limited companies. You may order the books online through the links below if you already know some Malay. 
Online newspapers
Foreign

Most of these references are from Indonesia. It is not exactly Bahasa Melayu but somehow mutually intelligible at the official level. 
Malaysia has also developed institutes related to Bahasa Melayu for example, the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka but apparently it lacks in promotional activity due to factors that should be studied further in order to find solutions. 

Malay is actually an interesting language and quite diverse but there are weaknesses in our basic policies. The implementation of language policy has to come with both political and economic framework. I just hope that someone or at least few people could see this and address this matter in their own organisation!

* Tonton.com.my is not restricted to Malay language programmes and channels. You may also watch online programmes in English, Chinese and other international entertainment programmes. Just register and login to watch the programmes online anywhere in the world with internet connection.

** Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore were colonies and protectorates of the Great Britain but it provides a news portal in Bahasa Indonesia and not in Bahasa Melayu which is spoken and written in its own child nations.
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