This is especially so because of the constant introduction of new words in various fields, including economics, politics, law and technology, he said.

Maszlee said all parties should continue to play a role in cultivating and elevating the Malay language to the international level.

The Malay language, he said, should always stay relevant, continuously evolving to meet challenges.

“Let’s expand the efforts to elevate the official language of the country,” he said at the Prime Minister’s Cup Malay language international speech competition 2019 at Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) at Sultan Azlan Shah Proton City here last night.

Also present were his deputy Teo Nie Ching, UPSI vice-chancellor Prof Mohammad Shatar Sabran and state Education, Technology, Science and Environment Committee chairman Abdul Aziz Bari.

Earlier, Shatar said that the Malay language should be recognised not only in the Asean region but “at every corner of the globe including Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the United States”.