The languages of places of worship in the Kuala Lumpur area

TLDR

Malaysia’s multilingual society and diverse religious landscape provide the backdrop for examining language use in worship places. The study surveyed seven Kuala Lumpur places of worship—mosque, Sikh gurdwara, two churches, Chinese temple, Hindu temple, and Theravada Buddhist temple—by interviewing officials, photographing all signs, and surveying believers about language attitudes. The findings reveal that the languages displayed on worship signs mirror Malaysia’s multilingual context, and the discussion considers the implications for official language policies and the prominence of English.

Abstract

This article presents the results of a piece of research on the languages used in places of worship carried out in the Kuala Lumpur area (Malaysia). Seven different places of worship were selected (a mosque, a Sikh gurdwara, two churches, a Chinese temple, a Hindu temple and a Theravada Buddhist temple) and brief interviews were carried out involving people with an official position within those institutions, while at the same time digital pictures were taken of all the signs present within the compounds where the places of worship were located. A brief survey was also carried out to gauge the believers’ attitudes towards the languages used in the signs photographed. After a general introduction on Malaysia and its linguistic repertoire and on the religions found in the country, the methodology employed is described in detail and the results are presented. There follows an in-depth discussion of the results and some general remarks on official language policies and the position of English.