立命館地理学 第 23 号 (2011) 45-55 The Role of Demographic Information in Understanding the Spatial Distribution of Multiple Language in Malaysia Tarmiji Masron*, Usman Haji Yaakob* and FUJIMAKI Masami** Abstract in the area. However, studies involving lan- guage mapping are too costly and the sampling The Population and Housing Census con- method may be unclear especially in showing ducted every 10 years by the Department of the distribution of a language/dialect in an area. Statistics, Malaysia is able to provide basic In Malaysia, the population and housing census data for a variety of fields, among them is the is carried out once every ten years. Basic geolinguistic field or language mapping. Basic information related to population such as total information related to population such as total population, age, race, occupation, and education population, age, race, occupation, language and can be obtained from this effort. This paper education may be obtained from this effort. attempts to highlight and discuss how the data With reference to Population and Housing and demographic information may be used as Census information, this paper attempts to basic data in mapping and understanding the highlight and discuss how the data and demo- spatial distribution of multiple languages for graphic information can become the basic data geolinguistic study. in mapping and understanding the spatial distri- bution of multiple languages for geolinguistic study. Ⅱ．Population Census and Demo- graphic Information Ⅰ．Introduction In Malaysia, the first comprehensive census was held in 1891. The states participating in Geolinguistics refers to the study or science the census were the Straits Settlements, i.e. of linguistics in relation to geography1). Among Singapore, Penang and Malacca and also the other studies involving the mapping of language Malay States which were under the British either in a large scale, such as political bound- protection, namely Pahang, Perak, Negeri aries, administrative boundaries, boundaries of Sembilan and Selangor2). The following cen- language (speaking), or more specifically refers suses were carried out in 1901 and 1911. The to the individual speaking a language or dialect first ‘Pan-Malayan’ census or also known as the * Section of Geography, School of Humanities, Universiti Sains Malaysia ** College of Letters, Ritsumeikan University Key words : Demographic Information, Multiple Languages, Geolinguistics 45 Tarmiji Masron ･ Usman Haji Yaakob ･ FUJIMAKI Masami ‘British Malay census’ was held in 19213), last census conducted by the British colonial which covered all states including the Straits government on 17–18th of June 1957 covered Settlements (Labuan, Penang and Malacca), the the states in the Federation of Malaya. Accord- Federated Malay States (Perak, Selangor, ing to Sidhu (1975)4) the previous censuses are Negeri Sembilan and Pahang) and the Non- important sources that can be used by research- Federated Malay States (Johor, Kedah, Kelan- ers from various disciplines who wish to study tan, Terengganu, Perlis, Sabah and Brunei). various aspects of population in Peninsular The census which used the de facto approach Malaysia. For Sabah which has conducted mul- also includes questions on the scope of language tiple limited censuses since 1901 and 1911, and and the ability to speak English. Sarawak which held the first population census The second and third Pan-Malayan censuses in 1939, both states have a lot of socio-economic were held in 1931 and 1947 respectively. The and demographic data that can be benefitted in Table 1 Questions Topics by Year of Census in Malaysia Question Topics 1947 1951 1957 1960 1970 1980 1991 2000 De facto XXXXXX Residence Place of birth XXXXXXXX Duration of residence X X Previous residence X X Urban/Rural X XXXXXX Gender XXXXXXXX Age XXXXXXXX Relationship with head of householdX XXXXXX Marital status XXXXXXXX Number of children born alive XXXXXXXX Children living with parent XXXXXXXX Nationality X XXXX Literate XXXXXXXX School enrolment X XXXX School attendance XXXX Education level XXXX Ethnic/racial origin XXXXXXXX Language X X Religion X X X X Household composition Economic activity XXXXXXXX Occupation XXXXXXXX Industry XXXXXXXX Employment status X XXXXXX Income Housing XX XXXXX Source: Adapted from Domschke, E and Goyer, D. S.: The Handbook of National Population Censuses—Africa and Asia, Greenwood Press, New York, 1986, pp. 745–758. 46 The Role of Demographic Information in Understanding the Spatial Distribution of Multiple Language in Malaysia the situation before and after they joined the population employment according to categories Federation of Malaysia alliances in 1963. As a of industry and space. List of census questions sovereign country, Malaysia’s first population topics in Malaysia since 1947, 1957, 1970, 1980, census was conducted in 1970 and followed in 1991 and 2000 are shown in Table 1. 1980, 1991 and 2000. Reviews on the charac- teristics and critical issues of population census Ⅲ．Demographic Information and of Malaysia 2000 have been conducted5). Language Mapping The requirements in population census infor- mation gathering vary according to local and From Table 1, although there are changes in national interests. These include the concepts the concentration of question or list of questions and topics of questions that must be prepared in being asked during the process of collecting the census, and it should be in accord with inter- census data, particularly those involving lan- national requirements to analyze the population guage, but generally population census provides profile or stock between countries and make population data, among others, referring to a comparisons, such as growth rate and age group race or ethnic group. Language (in daily speech) and gender, socio-economy, urbanization level, is also generally refers to a race or ethnic group. Figure 1 Variation of the Word ‘You’ Used in Majority by the Respondents Source: Salasiah Che Lah, Tarmiji Masron, Azimah Sazali, Ruslan Rainis, Suraiti Ghazali, Alias Abd Ghani & Salfa- rina Abdul Ghafor: The Spatial Lexical Variation and Distribution of Melanau Language, Sarawak Museum Journal LXIII (84), 2007, pp. 9941–9964. 47 Tarmiji Masron ･ Usman Haji Yaakob ･ FUJIMAKI Masami Therefore, the available census information can report released by Department of Statistics to be used as a basis to develop or create a lan- the public only shows information at the guage map for the country, state, district, national scale, and does not refer to state or county or census block in Malaysia. district or county or census block. Neverthe- There are several studies and writings found less, since the census involved individuals and in the country and abroad that used information census blocks, it is believed that the language from the census6). At the national level, there information referring to the census block or is no study and writing that tries to see the role county or district as well as the state from the of demographic information or statistics from two census years can be obtained. the department of statistics as a source in From Table 2, the community of a society language study especially in language mapping. influenced the use of their language and their In the aspect of understanding language in terms proficiency level to Malay language. From the of space and language mapping, there also are many table, Malay language, Mandarin and English studies7). Study by Salasiah et al. (2007)8) has tried were the main languages used or have a high to identify the spatial distribution of Melanau dialect level of proficiency for the population in Penin- in the settlements of Melanau people in Sarawak. sular Malaysia. The Malay Language profi- Figure 1 showed one of the language map gener- ciency level (fluency) among the Chinese and ated. This study involved mapping at the individual Indian community is relatively low. However, respondent level. they were able to communicate using their However, in Malaysia, no efforts have been fundamental Malay language. made to look at the role that can be played by From Table 3 in 1980, Bahasa Malaysia, population data through the national population English as well as Chinese language were the and housing census as a data source to develop main spoken languages used by urban residents a language map. in Malaysia and the rest were languages such as 1. Population and Spoken Language Tamil, Iban, Kadazan/Dusun, and other lan- From the population and housing census guages. Almost similar scenario occurred in carried out, there are two census years that rural areas with Bahasa Malaysia, English and have topic directly related to language which is Chinese language, were the main spoken lan- the 1970 and 1980 censuses. According to the guages by the population in Malaysia. This data General Report of the Malaysian Population, is directly related to the total population in language-related information was issued only Malaysia, whether they are urban or rural popu- for Peninsular Malaysia (Table 2), while for the lation. The pattern of language used by the Year 1980 Report data relating to language people in Malaysia would be more apparent if covers Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak the data at the state, district, county and census (Table 3). Information from both census years block level is used. Furthermore, a language can be used by geolinguist to understand the map can also be developed if data at the above- language scenario in Malaysia. However, the mentioned scale is used.