MANGLISH? any one.....

Retrieved from The Star july 22, 2009. By Mr Roslan Ibrahim Secretary of PPTKP

Wednesday July 22, 2009
Manglish has its plus points

I REFER to the comment by Yeow Boon Kiat on “What’s there to boast when we are speaking Manglish” (The Star, July 21).

He argued that English proficiency among Malaysians is poor because we speak Manglish while people in other regions are improving on their English.

I am not a linguist, but I believe Manglish is evolving just like any other language. It is mutating to fill up a gap in our society and in a way, it has become something that binds our people.

In America, the black American slangs are well accepted. Their street language has become a part of rap songs. It is accepted as a form of communication in society although it is not recognised as a business or professional language.

Likewise, most Malaysians tend to speak Manglish among themselves. But when it comes to formal presentations or meetings, we switch to standard English.

Personally, I feel Manglish is kind of a funny language. It makes people who speak English as a second language feel comfortable and confident to speak without worrying too much about grammar.

It shields one from embarrassment whenever one mispronounces a word or when the right word does not pop out. Some of the words like rojak and belacan have no English substitutes. Shrimp paste can never replace belacan.

Singaporean celebrity Phua Chu Kang (who can actually speak good English) is lovable because of his Singlish. Just imagine PCK joking in proper English. He wouldn’t sound funny at all!

Bear in mind, language is just a communication tool. Be it Manglish, Singlish, American, British or Aussie, as long as they are understood, it is good enough.

How many times have we heard married couples who have been living together for decades say, ‘I don’t understand you, and you never want to understand me.’? Same language but nobody understands. No wonder there are wars everywhere!

ROSLAN,

Penang