Malaysia was a part of the British Empire for over a century. Post Colonial Malaysia has however remained inclined to the British roots in spite of being free from British rule.

The official language of Malaysia is Malay (Bahasa Melayu). The Government of Malaysia is trying to promote Malay as the official first language and has made a number of attempts to do so. English is still however the preferred language amongst the middle and upper classes. English is used in most professional and commercial fields and also in the superior courts.

Other minority languages like Chinese and Indian are commonly used by the large ethnic minorities in the country. Malay has not been extensively used in Malaysia. However, it still retains the status of official language. The national anthem of Malaysia is entirely in Malay.