More people speak Malay than Hindi?

[prasa006]

VYAKARAN: South Asian Languages and Linguistics Net
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          John Peterson, University of Osnabrueck, Germany
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The statement "Malay is the fourth most frequently spoken language in the
world, after Chinese English and Spanish?" is absolutely incorrect to every
single word. People who make such claims should first get their facts
right.
Prasad

On 27 May 2005, Harold F. Schiffman wrote:
> VYAKARAN: South Asian Languages and Linguistics Net
> Editors:  Tej K. Bhatia, Syracuse University, New York
>           John Peterson, University of Osnabrueck, Germany
> Details:  Send email to listserv at listserv.syr.edu and say: INFO VYAKARAN
> Subscribe:Send email to listserv at listserv.syr.edu and say:
>           SUBSCRIBE VYAKARAN FIRST_NAME LAST_NAME
>           (Substitute your real name for first_name last_name)
> Archives: http://listserv.syr.edu
>
> 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
>