BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Malay Language is losing its grip in Brunei, with only 50.5 percent of the public in the sultanate communicate in Malay Language at home, finding of a recent study conducted by Brunei's Language and Literature Bureau (DBP) showed.
Only 31.5 percent of Bruneians use Malay Language to speak with friends and 38.8 percent converse in the country's official language at workplace, local media reported on Saturday, quoting the study's findings.
The study also showed a drastic drop in the use of Malay Language among secondary school students. Only 48.6 percent of them use it at home while 38.8 percent communicate with friends in Malay language and 43.7 percent speak it at school.
However, the survey also indicated that 82.2 percent of primary school students communicate in Malay Language at home. Malay Language is the favorite of 80.3 percent of them when conversing with friends while 62.1 percent speak it at school.
"The findings show primary students are still utilizing Malay Language. However at the secondary level, its usage has dropped, and at the community level, less people are using the Malay Language," said Hajah Sariani, acting deputy director of DBP.
The survey, carried out from November 2016 to May 2017, involved respondents from more than 1,000 primary students, some 1,600 secondary school and college students and 500 members of the public.
The study aimed to find out the level of Malay Language usage among citizens of the country.
Overall, Sariani said, the use of Malay Language is disappointing because many people are using a "Rojak" language, a mix of Malay and English languages.
