Why Learn Malay? (Mengapa Belajar Bahasa Melayu?)

(While I was writing this post, I was actually listening to non-native speakers delivering their public speech in Malay. Read more about the competition here)

As you guys may aware, my native language is Malay. Being a fan of languages, I researched on reasons I should learn other languages, of which I have summarised here.

Moving on to some reasons why you should learn Malay, so what defines the Malay language? 

It is an Austronesian language and it is spoken mainly in Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Southern Thailand and Singapore. Different conventions exist in terms of defining Malay but I'd rather not elaborate in this article.

Reasons to learn Malay

1. Moving or travelling to Malay-speaking countries "Malayophones"
   
   
   Whether you'll be studying, working or even travelling to Malayophone countries, knowing some Malay is a bonus point. On a side note, immerse into more dimensions of Malaysia by staying in a homestay and mix with the locals!
   
   
   Don't forget to check out some cool Malaysian food as well :)
   
   

   

   Paddy fields, 1 mile away from my hometown
   near the AOR airport!

   

   Had my "cendol" - a dessert- 20 hours
   before my first flight to the UK

   
   

   

   Homemade "lemang" - glutinous rice cooked in bamboo sticks.
   Lovely, isn't it?

   
   
2. You've found (or looking for) your other half here
   
   
   Welcome to the club! (read: Malayophone family). With more people travelling and lower communication barriers thanks to the Internet, more people found their significant other at the other parts of the world, including Malaysia. Well, knowing your spouse's language and understanding his/her culture even more - it's just interesting, right?
   
3. Malaysian friends and connections
   
   
   Speaking of perspective, believe it or not, we Malaysians are impressed when we know that you can speak Malay. even a bit. And to me, it doesn't really matter whether you're speaking fluently or not because being fluent is a skill that needs practice through speaking, especially with the native speakers.
   
   
4. "I just enjoy learning languages!"
   
   
   Yes. And that's because languages connect people!

Bonus Tip:

Learn a Malay dialect. While it's more leaned towards spoken form than written, you can blend in more with the locals especially in some parts of Malaysia such as the states of Kelantan and Kedah. I'm sure Malaysians are well-acquainted with Mat Dan, who is originally from Bristol, England but currently residing in Malaysia and he speaks with a dialect spoken in Terengganu, a state on the east coast of Malay Peninsula.

Hit me up if you're planning to visit Malaysia soon! If you need to practise your Malay, or just want some tips on visiting Malaysia, contact me through italki and I'll be really happy to help you. (click here to sign up - no affiliation, just awesome)

See you later!

Wan

25 Ramadan 1438

Kulim, Malaysia

Transaksi Tanpa Tunai Rentas Sempadan

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Penulisan ringkas ini ditujukan untuk pelajar Malaysia yang pulang bercuti dari pengajian di luar negara dan juga warga Malaysia yang melancong di luar negara.

Transaksi Tanpa Tunai Rentas Sempadan - merujuk kepada cara mendapatkan kadar tukaran mata wang yang baik bagi transaksi kewangan tanpa tunai "cashless" yang tidak melibatkan mata wang tempatan. Contohnya, membeli barangan di Lazada Malaysia (dalam Ringgit) menggunakan kad debit UK atau menambah nilai kad Oyster di London (dalam Pound British) menggunakan kad debit Maybank.

Tips cukup mudah, iaitu: Pilih MATA WANG NEGARA BERKENAAN ataupun "continue without conversion". Kadang-kadang akan ada pilihan untuk membolehkan transaksi dijalankan dalam mata wang pengeluar kad (contohnya: pilihan untuk dicaj dalam Ringgit di UK atau dalam Pound di Malaysia) - abaikan sahaja. Hal ini dinamakan penukaran mata wang dinamik (dynamic currency conversion) - kadar tukaran yang dinyatakan sebenarnya ialah sekitar 5% daripada google rate, sedangkan bagi transaksi tanpa penukaran "without conversion" ialah sebanyak 0.5%, dan jika ditambah dengan caj bank (seperti kebanyakan bank UK), pun sebenarnya 3% maksimum. Masih lagi menguntungkan.

Untuk pembacaan lebih lanjut tentang dynamic currency conversion, boleh baca di sini (dalam bahasa Inggeris).

Berikut contoh bagi memudahkan kefahaman:

Pengeluaran wang dalam RM menggunakan kad debit UK.
"Continue Without Conversion" - hanya £21.78 tidak termasuk caj bank.
Jika ditambah 3% caj pun masih lebih baik, £22.43.

Untuk PayPal, pilih "Your card issuer's rate",
anda akan dapat tukaran wang yang lebih baik.

Transaksi dalam tiga mata wang berbeza.
Mata wang asal kad ini ialah Pound Sterling.

Kesimpulannya, jika anda berada di mana-mana negara, sentiasa gunakan mata wang negara berkenaan sebaiknya. Jika di Amerika Syarikat, gunakan USD. Jika di Arab Saudi, gunakan Riyal Saudi. Dan seterusnya.

Sumber pembacaan:
1) Why It Pays To Settle Up in Local Currency when Holidaying Abroad? (thisismoney.co.uk)
2) Using Plastic Overseas? Always Pay in Euros (even when it says 0% commission) (moneysavingexpert.com)
3) Here's The Simple Rule You Need to Know When Using a Foreign ATM (TransferWise)

Wan Amirul Wan Shamsir
20 Ramadan 1438