The Malays have lived in Singapore as far back as 1300 AD, following the founding of a settlement then known as Singapura, by a prince from Sumatra.
According to the Census of Population 2010, the proportion of Singaporean Malays speaking the Malay language at home had declined from about 92% in 2000 to about 83% in 2010.
The Ministry of Education established a committee in 2010 to study the ways in which second languages are taught. The Majlis Bahasa Melayu (Malay Language Council) was established in 1981, and it looks at how the Malay language is taught in schools. It organizes the Malay Language Month (Bulan Bahasa Melayu Singapura), which was first launched in 1962. The Council aims to encourage the use of the rich Malay language in daily lives, through activities like competitions, debates, language forums, and performances to showcase the Malay language and culture.