The Intellectualisation of the Malay Language in Interreligious Dialogue

The Malay language is the national language of Malaysia’s multireligious and multiracial society. Due to a close association between Islam and Malay, the Muslim hegemony controls the religious truth of the meaning and interpretation in the Malay language. However, to enhance the role of the Malay language to be an inclusive religious language, it is important to intellectualise the language through interreligious dialogue in Malaysia. The study aims at (1) analysing the needs of the intellectualisation of the Malay language as a religious language in Malaysian interreligious dialogue, and (2) explaining the process of the intellectualisation of the Malay language in Malaysian interreligious dialogue. The main approaches of the study are Syed Hussein Alatas (1977) idea of intellectualism in the sociology of development and Asmah Haji Omar (1993) suggestion of intellectualisation in language planning. There are two types of data. Firstly, the news on interreligious dialogue in Berita Harian, an online Malay newspaper. Secondly, the answers given by four sociolinguists in their interviews covering questions on the needs and the process of the intellectualisation of the Malay language. The intellectualisation of the Malay language refers to the ability of the language to express intellectually the religious messages of all religions in Malaysia, which can be done through two different ways: linguistic and non-linguistic perspectives. The findings suggest that the intellectualisation of the Malay language as a religious language in Malaysian interreligious dialogue has strong potential for strengthening mutual understanding, respect and tolerance among the followers of different religions who participate in the dialogue.