In Malaysia, the main language people speak is Malay , also called Bahasa Malaysia or Bahasa Melayu, which is the official and national language used in government, schools, and most formal settings.

Main language

  • Malay (Bahasa Malaysia / Bahasa Melayu) is the official and national language, written in the Latin alphabet (Rumi) and also sometimes in the Arabic-based Jawi script.
  • It is used in laws, public schools, government offices, and most national media as the primary language of communication.

Other common languages

  • English is widely spoken as a strong second language, especially in cities, business, higher education, and tourism.
  • Many Malaysians also speak Chinese languages (such as Mandarin, Cantonese, Hokkien, Hakka) and Indian languages like Tamil at home or within their communities.

Everyday mix

  • In casual conversation, people often mix Malay and English, plus some Chinese or Tamil words; a well-known informal English-Malay blend is called Manglish.
  • Because Malaysia is multicultural, there are also many indigenous languages, especially in Sabah and Sarawak, so it is common for Malaysians to know two or three languages.

TL;DR: They officially speak Malay in Malaysia, but English and several Chinese, Indian, and indigenous languages are also very common.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.