u/jameswyl

In 2023, DBP Sarawak declared four indigenous languages extinct: Seru, Pegu, Bliun and Lelak. Extinct = no speakers left, no written records, nothing left to revive. Gone.

Sarawak has over 40 indigenous languages and most of them are in various stages of decline. A 2026 study from UNIMAS showed that the vitality of Bidayuh is at Level 6b (Threatened) on the EGIDS scale as over 70% of Bidayuh parents are not passing the language on to their children. The regional variation also makes standardisation difficult.

On the other side of the coin, Iban has an established orthography and it has the Tun Jugah Foundation that ensures the language is standardised and updated with the times. It is still being taught in all levels until university. It also has strong media presence (TVS, Utusan Borneo, WaiFM, Suara Sarawak, RTM).

But the same cannot be said for most of the other indigenous languages. Virtually no media presence, preservation efforts limited mostly to dictionaries or books, and little to no institutional support. I think the most recent call was to boost Kayan language radio for the community.

Younger generations are moving to cities, went to school with Malay and English as their primary learning medium, and their mother tongue is left to be used at home, if they even know how to speak it at all. These languages retreated into homes, ceremony, songs, but not public life. My friends around me (Melanau, Bidayuh, Iban, Lun Bawang) don’t speak their language anymore as their parents parents never passed it down to them.

Do you think all these languages will still be around in your lifetime? What about your kids' generation? What will Sarawak look like in 2050 nothing happens now? Is there anything (media, schools, government, community) that you think is actually making a difference?

And honestly, does it matter to you? Genuinely curious.

Asking because I'm working on something about this and I think the people who actually live it have more to say than any academics or politician.