1、 Introduction

Since Malaysia's independence, the government has been committed to elevating the status of the Malay language, facing challenges from English and non Malay native languages. After Prime Minister Ismail Shabiri took office, he promoted the revival of the Malay language, advocating for the use of Malay in official settings and international exchanges to enhance national identity and cultural confidence.

2、 Measures related to the Malay language revival plan

The Malaysian government has established Malay as the national language through laws and promoted its use in the education system. The government has taken measures to enhance the status of Malay language, including reducing non Malay language teaching schools, organizing Mandarin promotion activities, collaborating with foreign universities, and hosting international speech competitions. However, the use and influence of Malay language both domestically and internationally still need to be improved. The Ismail Shabiri government has taken new measures, including regulating the use of Malay by civil servants, strengthening the application of Malay in the public sector, promoting Malay as the second official language of ASEAN, strengthening international exchange and cooperation, and improving Malay education levels, in order to enhance the domestic and international status of Malay. The government also plans to revise relevant laws, strengthen supervision and enforcement of the use of Malay language, and promote the dissemination and recognition of Malay language through educational and cultural exchange programs.

3、 The motivation behind the proposal of the Malay language revival plan

Malay language was once the official language of the late Srivijaya dynasty in history, widely used in administrative, judicial, and religious fields, and was also the language of trade in the Strait of Malacca. However, the introduction of English during the colonial period and the promotion of Japanese during the Japanese occupation, as well as post independence ethnic conflicts, globalization, and the rise of social media, have all hindered the development of Malay language. The Malaysian government has always been concerned about the development of the Malay language and has introduced relevant policies multiple times. At the beginning of the 21st century, the government emphasized the importance of English, but after Ismail Sabri came to power, it once again focused on improving the status of Malay language and promoting its prosperity both domestically and internationally.

4、 Challenges in implementing the Malay language revival plan

Since Malaysia's independence, the status of Malay as the national language has not been widely recognized, and although the government has implemented various policies to enhance its status, the results have been limited. The Ismail Shabiri government has proposed new measures to revive the Malay language, but faces multiple challenges. Firstly, the lack of scientific policy has failed to deeply address the fundamental reasons for the development dilemma of the Malay language, such as ethnic factors, the impact of globalization, and the inherent deficiencies of the Malay language itself. Secondly, the appeal of the Malay language revival plan is limited, and there are doubts domestically. The policies of the Sarawak state government and the federal government are contradictory. Internationally, the plan to develop Malay as the second official language of ASEAN has also received lukewarm response from neighboring countries. The Malaysian government needs to introduce more effective policies to fundamentally enhance society's sense of identity with the national language and ensure that the policies can truly take effect.

5、 Conclusion

The challenge facing the Malaysian government is to enhance the national identity of the Malay language, which is influenced by colonial history, ethnic status, and globalization. The revival plan of the Ismail Shabili government failed to address the core of the problem and requires more scientific and sustained efforts. After the November 2022 general election, the National Front suffered a defeat and Shabili was unable to be re elected, making the future of its revival plan uncertain. The attitude and actions of the new government will determine the development direction of the Malay language revival plan and deserve continuous attention.