Proceedings of the 28th International Conference on Literature: “Literature as a Source of Wisdom”, July 11-13, 2019, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh, Indonesia ISBN: 978-623-7086-21-5 THE ROLE OF MALAY LANGUAGE AND ITS CHALLENGES IN THE GLOBALIZATION ERA Phaosan Jehwae, Susy Deliani & Yahaya Niwae Department of Malay Language Education, Faculty of Education, Fatoni University, Pattani, Thailand *Corresponding author: [email protected] DOI: 10.24815/.v1i1.14396 Abstract This paper discusses about the role of Malay language, the role of pesantren and universities as well as the challenges in the globalization era in Southern Thailand. Malay here is not merely a means of communication but it is much more than that. It cannot be separated from the Malay community in Patani. Patani has a long and challenging history, but the Malay language remains an important issue. Although Patani is not a Malay region in the archipelago but the Patani community maintains their identity as Malay speakers. Pesantrens and colleges in Patani play an important role in preserving the Malay language. Various Thai government policies has been directly or indirectly trying to remove and undermine the Malay language from Thailand since Patani became a part of it with various political policies of Siamization, but fortunately the efforts were not exactly successful. This is proven by the fact that Malay language is still actively spoken by the Patani community and has become a compulsory language throughout the pesantrens up until today. Since the ongoing security crisis, the government has begun to see the importance of Malay language for the Patani community by including the Malay curriculum in public primary and secondary schools. Keywords: Malay language, Malay community, Patani, challenges. 1. Introduction The Malay nation is a minority nation in Thailand where the majority is Siamese who speak Thai. The Malays become the majority population in the minority; they become the majority in five regions of Southern Thailand but they become the minority in other places, especially those who live in Bangkok and the north-south regions. According to Paitoon (2005, p. 53), about 75 percent of the population in the five southern regions of Thailand are Muslims, speak Malay and obey the Malay customs as the people of northern Malaysia. Patani has a long history and struggle that even after being a part of Thailand for over 103 years, Patani people still maintain Malay language up until now. 9 Phaosan Jehwae, Susy Deliani & Yahaya Niwae In recent years, there have been concerns among Malay religious leaders, scholars and teachers in Thailand of the extinction of the Malay language in every Malay education and identity sector in Thailand. The strong influence of Thai language on Patani Malay language and some of the authority’s policies aiming at abolishing it, are among many factors that lead to the diminishing of the Malay language. Ahmad Fathi (2001, p. 209) in discussing the deterioration of the Malay language in Patani states that the sectors that are dominated by Malay Language lately are only in daily interaction, sermons, and religious teaching at mosques or madrasah. Malay language is no longer used in official affairs, mass media, village signboards and government institutions. The Malays in Thailand are very different from the majority of Thai, they are Muslim and speak Malay while Thai people are Buddhist and speak Thai. This paper will show the role of Malay language, the role of pesantren and universities as well as the challenges in the globalization era. 2. The Condition of Malay Language in Thailand Malay Language has been used in the archipelago since centuries ago and became official language in several countries in the archipelago. Malay has become the official language of Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. In addition, it also became the communicative language in several parts of Southeast Asia such as Patani, Moro, Philippines and Timor Leste. Prior to 1909 AD, Malay became the official language of Patani Sultanate and held a very important role. After Patani was colonized by Siam/Thailand, Malay was used as a communicative language among the Malay community and became intermediate language in religious and Malay subjects in pesantren. Malay generally became a minority language in Thailand because there was only a few places that still use Malay Language in daily conversation, for instances Ayuthya, Minburi, Tha’it, Klongneng, Tambon Bangpo and Kloungluang Pathomthani (Hasan, 1992, p. 637). Whereas in Southern Thailand, especially in the five border areas of Thailand, Malay became the majority language (Worawit, 2002, p. 28). Amorn Thawisak (1987, p. 76) states that the Malay-spoken area in Thailand came from central to southern Thailand and also at the Malaysian border. The Malay Language users are located in several areas in Thailand as follows. 1. Area of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat. Malay became a majority language in these areas. 2. Area of Songkhla. Malay is used in Thepha, Sabayoi, Nathewi, Chena, Sadau and Ranood. 3. Area of Satun. Malay is used in Bandar Satun, Bankuan, Cekbilang, Tamalang, Koh Adang and Koh Sarai. 4. Area of Nakhon Si Thammarat, Malay is used in Muang, Thasala, Hua Thaphan, Mokhlan and Ron Phiboon. 5. Area of Krabi, Malay is used in Muang, Koh Ca, Koh Poo and Koh Pipi, Koh Lanta, Koh Lanta Yai, Khau Phanom, Nakhau, Aulek in Ban Klang and Ban Chong Mai Dam in Klang Hin. 6. Area of Phuket, there are Malay Language users found in Muang, Lam Tuk Kae, Koh Sire, Ban Sapha and Had Ra Wai. 7. Area of Phatlung, there are Malay Language users found in Kong Ra, Chelem, Jarad. 8. Area of Trang, there are Malay Language users found in Kan Tang di Kantang Tai and Koh Li Bung 9. Area of Suratthani, there are Malay Language users found in Koh Marid and Samui. While in the central Thailand, there are Malay Language users found in the Nong Chok district of the capital city of Bangkok, Samut Prakan, Nonthaburi and Pathum thani provinces. Malay speakers in Thailand have different dialects. There are three dialects, 10 Proceedings of the 28th International Conference on Literature: “Literature as a Source of Wisdom”, July 11-13, 2019, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh, Indonesia ISBN: 978-623-7086-21-5 namely Urak Lawoi dialect, Patani dialect and Satun dialect. The Lawoi Urdu language found on the island and the beach on the west, south of Thailand ranging from Pang Nga, Ranong, Krabi, Satun and Victoria Point Burma (Hasnida Chekha, 2008, p. 48). Patani language is used in four areas of southern Thailand, namely Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and parts of the Songkla region such as Cana, Sabayoi, Thapha, and Nathawi (Worawit Baru, 1990, p. 54). While the Satun Malay dialect is used in two areas; namely the coastal area and the rural area of Satun Province. The coastal areas include Tammalang, Che Bilang and Tanjung Gabus, while the rural areas cover the Bankhuan district and some of the districts of Ban Chalung. Nowadays, Malay language is heavily influenced by Thai language. The new generation of Malay children in Thailand rarely speak in Malay resulting in the critical condition of Malay Language lately, especially in population whose majority speak in Thai 3. The Role of Malay Language in Patani Malay Language became the mother tongue (first language) and the most valuable legacy of the Malay community living in the southern Thailand. Malay plays a very important role in southern Thailand. Malay Language as a means of communication to express thoughts, feelings, emotions, needs and others. It is a communication tool in daily life and spoken extensively by all classes ranging from ordinary people, government officials, private officials and traders, either Malays or non-Malays. In the Islamic teaching, tuan guru and religious teachers used standard Malay books or scriptures and described it in Patani Malay. Western doctors and missionaries who spread Christian teaching in Thailand also used Malay as a means of communication. There were at least 400 private Islamic boarding schools in five regions of Southern Thailand (Ahmad Omar, 2002, p. 39). There were 1000 boarding schools throughout Patani in the 1960s, many of which were shut down and closed after the kingdom forced them to use Thai language in the teaching process (Uthai Dulyakasem, 1981, p. 63). Those schools belonged to the local people where they used two languages in teaching process; Patani Malay and Thai Language. They use Patani Malay language in delivering the religious subject; while there were also several schools using mixed both languages. In academic learning, they completely used Thai books and used Patani Malay in delivering the materials. The Thailand Kingdom had been aware of the importance of the position and role of Malay language for the Patani community ever since the political crisis erupted in Patani. Malay language could be used as a tool for peace in Patani, therefore many mass media started to use Malay at the time. The purpose was to convey information to Patani people and nearby people who spoke Malay. The Malay language used in the mass media in southern Thailand had various forms, for instance in the form of television media, radio media, printed media and others. There were some Malay-language programs in the media channel such as TV channels 5, TV 9 and TV 11. The information presented through the news page was about daily news, both domestic and foreign news. Radio is a local media that gives listeners the pleasure and convenience, as it can be enjoyed in just about every place. Thus, radio media has many enthusiasts, moreover, for programs related to local news and culture. Radio media has various programs such as entertainment programs, daily news, and religious talks.