With this in mind, it is heartening that some local entertainers are working to make sign language more accessible by incorporating it in their music videos.
One such person is local singer Mimifly, real name Shamimi Amalina Norhisham, who featured hand gestures as part of the choreography for her songs “Serumpun” and “Angkat”.
Both videos gained widespread attention, particularly on TikTok, as users took on the challenge of dancing to the rhythm and lyrics, sharing their own videos on the social media platform.
Mimifly said her decision to feature sign language in her videos was to connect with the hearing-impaired community.
Meanwhile, Nur Nabila Mohd Razali, better known as Nabila Razali, also drew attention when she translated her festive song “Raya Mana” into sign language, which she had learnt from YouTube.
Educating through song
Special education teacher Abdul Halim Mohd Nasa is also doing his part to raise awareness about sign language to foster a more inclusive environment for the deaf community.
An educator for hearing-impaired students at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Tunku Ampuan Durah in Seremban, he has adopted a creative approach by translating song lyrics into sign language and sharing them on his TikTok account, which quickly captured attention.
Abdul Halim, who became active on the platform in 2022, features popular and trending songs in his feed, while he lip-syncs with hand gestures and facial expressions.
Songs he has covered include “Salam Terakhir” (Sudirman), “Hening Rindu” (Marsha Milan) and “Angkat”. The videos he uploads regularly garner tens of thousands of views, earning a spot on the platform’s For You Page (FYP).
“Most of the songs are requests from followers; I simply fulfil them to help people learn basic sign language through my content,” said Abdul Halim, who has over 27,000 followers on TikTok.
“My intention is to create awareness so that more people will learn and communicate in sign language. For me, this approach is easier because while entertaining, we are also educating.”
Abdul Halim said he is also happy to note that society is now more open and willing to learn sign language.
“As an educator for students with special needs, I am pleased when individuals, including artistes, help elevate and empower sign language, which indirectly acknowledges the presence of the deaf community in society.
“We are encouraging more people to learn sign language, which I believe is essential when interacting with the hearing-impaired,” he told Bernama.
Abdul Halim, who has been teaching students with special needs for 15 years, said he’d started out with a basic knowledge of sign language before learning it more fully from students and other teachers, as well as by joining courses organised by groups such as the Malaysian Federation of the Deaf.
Enhancing interaction
Elswhere, Mohd Norazmi Nordin, head of the special education programme at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, said by understanding sign language, members of the public can communicate more effectively with the deaf and mute community.
This, in turn, helps foster empathy and improve social interaction, making it easier for the hearing-impaired to carry out their daily tasks.
He explained that the sign language used within the community is not just a set of ordinary gestures, but one with its own grammar structure, just like spoken languages.
Malaysian Sign Language is recognised as the principal language of the deaf community here, and it was developed based on the structure of Bahasa Melayu, while possessing its own unique visual and linguistic features.
Norazmi said sign language should be more widely used across all official communication channels, and that initiatives by certain media outlets to feature sign-language interpreters in news broadcasts should be emulated by other television stations.
“The deaf community has the right to access information just like everyone else,” he noted. “We need to move towards truly disability-friendly broadcasting.
“By expanding the use of sign language interpreters in mass media, we are not only granting access to the hearing-impaired community but also educating other viewers on the need for inclusive communication.
“This will raise general awareness that every citizen, regardless of ability, deserves equal opportunities to receive information and news,” he concluded.