More people speak Malay than Hindi?

[Harold F. Schiffman]

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What say you Hindi-wallahs to the claim in this article that Malay
is the fourth most frequently spoken language in the world, after Chinese,
English and Spanish?

Hal S.
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Local Language Experts Attend Secretariat Meeting Of Mabbim
By Rosli Abidin Yahya

Bandar Seri Begawan - In an effort to promote the Malay language and
civilisation, seven experts recently attended the four-day 9th Secretariat
Meeting of Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia Language Council (or
Mabbim) in Bogor.

Led by Hanafiah Hj Zaini, a senior language officer with the Brunei
Language and Literature Bureau (DBP), the event took place at Hotel Puncak
Raya in Cisarua from May 10.

The opening ceremony was officiated by the Head of Indonesia Language
Centre, Dr Dendy Suguno. The local delegates were divided into four
clusters. Hanafiah, Dk Sainah Pg Hj Mohammad and Hjh Saddiah Ramli
represented Brunei in the secretariat sector, Dr Sylviana Moris in dental,
Dr Hj Jaludin Hj Chuchu and Alipudin Hj Omarkandi in analysis with Rasiah
Hj Tuah in publication. The gathering was also a follow up to resolutions
taken during the 44th Mabbim Executive Conference that was held in Mataram
last March 9 and 11.

The respective tasks of member nations will be discussed at the 19" Mabbim
Specialist Conference to be held in Brunei this September. Mabbim has been
able to unify spelling systems and formed hundreds of thousands of
terminology in a variety of subjects.

Malay, spoken by 250 million people, is now the fourth most commonly used
language in the world after Chinese, English and Spanish. Mabbim was
formed on May 23, 1972 with country members comprising Indonesia and
Malaysia.

Before the Sultanate joined, the body was known as the Language Council of
Indonesia and Malaysia (MBIM). Brunei was fully admitted as a member on
November 4, 1985, after which the council adopted its present name

http://www.brudirect.com/DailyInfo/News/Archive/May05/200505/nite25.htm