Madam Halimah Yacob.
Give me citizenship.
TheSmartLocal.com.
Hi guys, welcome to another episode of #LifeatTSL.
Today we're going to go around the office to see how well our
colleagues can converse in our national language, which is Malay.
I would say if it's like written in exam, not so good.
But like conversational,
I can because I think I speak Malay like very, very often.
Oh my god.
If it's going to be like hard, hard words, then I think I cannot.
Me and my friends are going to the library not to study but to sleep.
Go.
What is congregation in Malay?
Congregation?
In Malay?
Kongregasi.
Oh my god, you purposely, you...
Okay, who in the right mind will like,
hey, today I'm going to a congregation?
What the hell?
This is not a daily word.
Okay, just tell me an answer, I don't know.
Jemaah is congregation.
I thought Jemaah is like, I don't know what Jemaah was actually.
Let's go.
Hello, Lery.
Hello.
Oh, you understand also?
Ya.
Like even though you're not from Singapore, you love Singapore.
Okay, but the thing is like, I'm Singaporean at heart.
With more confidence.
I don't know why I always say sayur.
I never see him before.
You've got to see the jersey before?
Football.
It's the famous one.
Yes.
What is the name?
I only know the son.
Oh, Fandi.
Correct or not?
Mr. Fandi.
This one is Fandi Ahmad.
Okay, go next one.
This not Taufik?
No, this not Taufik.
I give you the initials.
S S.
This is Sezairi Sezali.
Oh, okay.
Got hear before?
But I saw him before once.
The last one very hard.
Impossible.
This person right,
I already kind of like followed him from the Philippines.
He was my first TSL crush.
None other than Zhin Sadali.
Wow, Zhin Sadali.
Ask me about the ministers.
I can name one.
The ministers you can name?
Can.
Oh my god.
Oh, suddenly...
Initials?
Can see the other photos?
Cannot.
Okay, who's this?
Masagos Zul...
Yeah, the Zuhad.
What?
Masagos Zulaqin.
Zuhar Fahmi.
Ah, Mizrafin.
Zulfahanmadin.
Zul Laman?
Ask me about the ministers.
I can name one.
The ministers you can name?
Can.
The next challenge very very easy.
I'm going to give you a list of words you just need to pronounce.
Okay.
Okay, the first one very tricky.
Next.
Okay, you got one wrong.
Genting?
Is Genting?
No, as in just now you said wrong.
Genting.
It's Genting.
Genting, correct what.
Just now you said a bit wrong.
Genting, correct.
Genting.
What's monyet?
Monkey.
Oh, like the producer.
Hello Brenda.
Hi. oh my god.
We’re wearing the same colour.
Oh my god.
Wow, feeling blue today.
So Brenda.
Ya.
With my inference skills, you're going to test me like,
can you speak Malay?
Correct.
So what's the answer?
Okay, that is her favourite line in case you all don't know.
So this will be Malay icons in Singapore.
If you cannot name,
are you sure you reserve your flat in Tampines?
First one.
Oh, it's on our dollar bills.
That's right.
Yusof Ishak.
Wow, the face dropped.
If you need to know one thing about me,
it's that I do not keep up with politics.
The smile is very like minister smile.
It's like, it's giving but not really.
Okay sorry, you're just saying so many words but the name.
I don't know this guy is who.
Okay, so this is Yaacob Ibrahim.
Oh, okay.
You got hear before?
Ya I got hear before.
Where, from where?
What he do?
Huh?
What he do?
I'm going to give you a list of words.
I need you to just very simply pronounce it only.
Oh, okay.
Correct.
Again.
Oh my god, help me.
What did you say?
Oh my god, it's getting worse guys.
It's getting worse.
What's that?
Disturb.
Oh, Kacau.
Oh my god.
I know that, sorry.
You know what is that?
Sounds like an animal.
Oh, it is?
You go and say.
You say that first.
That's right.
What's that?
His face is like a monkey.
Correct or not?
That's a monkey.
Hello Ian.
Hello Fikah.
I also don't know what he say guys.
How?
So right now I'm here to test you.
Your Malay speaking skills.
Oh, wait.
Wah, not bad.
Really not bad.
Do you know what is that?
I don't know.
First one.
Yes. Okay, first challenge.
I'm going to show you some Malay icons in Singapore.
And you just need to name them.
First one.
Munah and Hirzi
I know their full names.
Oh, cool.
Munah Bagharib.
Hirzi Official.
Father.
Look like me PE teacher.
What the?
Soccer player.
Okay.
Fandi Ahmad.
Correct.
That's right.
I'm going to give you, show you a few words.
You just need to pronounce them accurate.
That's right.
Not sekali.
No, no, not me.
You point to him.
Monyek behind the camera.
Wow, you did so well.
I don't want to tell you what it means.
Hi.
Hello.
You look very nervous.
I am very nervous.
I don't care.
Do you know what our national language is?
If you don't know, then get out.
It's Bahasa Melayu.
Yes.
Can I speak in Bahasa Melayu?
Why are you so good? Seriously.
Are you actually half Malay or something?
No, I took conversational Malay in secondary school.
So just because of the answer,
I will expect you to answer everything in Malay, okay?
Wow.
Okay.
I'm going to show you a few Malay icons.
You just need to name them.
First one.
Taufik Batisah.
Wow.
So easy.
I've never seen this guy in my life before.
Is he the father of those very good-looking models?
Yes.
You're on to something.
You're on to something, yes.
But you don't know.
I'll give you the initials.
F-A.
Farriz.
Fauzi.
Fauzi?
I think this one looks like Fauzi.
Really look like Fauzi.
This is Fandi Ahmad.
So he's like the daddy of soccer.
I'm going to give you a few words.
That are usually commonly mispronounced.
Okay.
Do you know the meanings of these words?
What is Monyet?
Monyet is Farriz.
Got the vibes.
Yes.
Yes?
No.
Which one?
Okay.
What thing?
What you say?
I don't understand.
I'm going to show you a few pictures of Malay icons in Singapore.
You just need to name them.
Okay.
Oh my god. I like him.
Singapore idol.
Taufik Batisah.
Correct.
Munah Hirzi.
Nice.
Yes.
Oh shit.
It's up on the dollar bills.
Victoria Low. It's on the money.
First president of Singapore.
Yusof Bin.
Ishak.
Correct.
Yeah.
Last challenge is even easier.
Okay.
Ready?
Yeah.
Shit.
This one the first.
Louder a bit.
I just want to say, of all the people that I've interviewed today,
you are like the textbook
example of how to butcher the word.
Overall, I think this was quite painful for me.
I think I'm ending this quite painfully.
Charmaine Sew.
Yes.
Do you know what is our national language?
Malay.
Wow.
A lot of confidence.
Can you speak Malay?
Correct!
Charmaine Sew.
Thank you.
So can you?
Yes, you are Chinese, correct.
You are not Malay.
Oh shit.
Oh, oh, first challenge.
Halima Yakup.
Sorry, Yacob.
Correct.
You got see before.
I see this MP before.
But I have no idea what is his name.
He's in charge of your GRC.
I need some clues. I totally have no idea.
would you like to phone a friend.
I'm phoning my friend. Hello Amanda.
She needs some help naming this guy.
Masagos?
I know it starts with Z.
I cannot remember.
Ya ya ya, you try?
Zul.
Something.
She got it, she got it.
Maybe you can finish.
You can finish it or not.
This is what your BTO haven't get.
Masagos Zul.
Zul now.
Zul K.
K I.
Zul K now.
I'm sorry.
Tampines, are you sure this is the kind of residue you would like?
Yes, yes, yes.
So this is Masagos Zulkifli.
Final challenge.
Okay.
What is challenge in Malay?
You remember?
Actually it's not.
It's cabaran la.
It's cabaran ketiga la.
Okay.
You're not tricking me.
A lot of people like to pronounce it fast.
Then they say skali.
You always say this one.
No idea what this is.
Can you form a sentence using these words?
You just quit this job right?
Then you become Malay teacher.
Personally, I've spoken to Dewi many times.
I'm the only one speaking in Malay.
She would just nod along and reply in English.
No, I cannot.
Hmm.
I don't know.
I really don't.
Why?
Like forget the person?
Forget the knowledge.
That the person knows.
But there's a hidden purpose behind what he does.
Okay, very very very close.
But it makes sense right the peribahasa?
It's not that hard actually.
It's quite literal.
You know eh?
I didn't know.
That's right.
This is what the kampung spirit means.
Okay guys.
I cannot even remember any Malay words now when I look at you.
Okay wait wait.
Very good, very good.
How did you get that?
But it's correct right?
Okay if you want to master a skill,
you have to ask somebody who knows.
Like when you want to swim, you ask the duck.
When you want to climb, you ask the tupai.
No I think if I want to swim, I ask the fish right?
I don't know, they ask the duck pula.
Actually why have we even test him?
Say cabaran ketiga.
I need you to sing the national anthem.
try to manifest your secondary and primary school times.
Sitting in the school hall.
I haven't seen that song since like secondary school.
So I'm pretty sure this one you cannot fail.
Let's say you fail right?
I think you just leave Singapore.
I would like to apologize in advance.
Ladies and gentlemen,
please stand for the singing of our national anthem.
That's not starting!
I forgot!
Mari kita yayak Singapura.
Bahagia kita kita.
Cita cita kita yang muhiyah.
Berjaya Singapura.
Marilah kita bersatu.
Bersatu!
Dengan kem...
Almost say kembangan.
Dengan semangat yang baru.
Samua tikah bersaju.
Majulah Singapura.
Sing sing sing!
I don't know!
Majulah Singapura.
Mari kita rayak Singapura sama sama.
Majulah Singapura.
Onward Singapore!
After testing a few of our colleagues,
I think that it's safe to say that most of them,
they kind of understand the more common words.
So I think understanding is already a big step.
If they are able to say the words, that's like another step forward.
So good for all of those people who can actually converse in Malay.
I think the person that surprised me the most
would have to be Brian.
Not trying to say that he looks like someone who doesn't know,
but I've never heard him speak in Malay ever.
So it was like very refreshing and very cool of him.
I'm pretty sure that he did quite well
compared to the others, compared to Victoria Low.
But of course I feel like there is room for improvement
for everyone because this is our national language.
I think it is quite important to be able to at least
know the basic words and to ensure that
our national language doesn't just like disappear.