Managing languages in conflict situation

English today certainly plays a wider range of roles than before. Due to these roles and to its neutrality in not being exclusively identified with any particular ethnic community in Malaysia, English is meant to be everyone’s language in as much as the national language is. In real life the functions of English in Malaysia almost equal those of Malay, including the social function. This situation results from the image projected by English vis-à-vis Malay and an equal treatment of the two languages in the implementation of the policy. The policy on the enhancement of the use of English has helped to de-sensitise the feeling of the people towards English as a former colonial language, and to close the attitudinal gap between Malay and English. This pragmatism has also changed the world-view of Malaysians that only the use of the national language would assist in nation-building