via The Sun, 20 December 2023: Wikimedia Malaysia’s initiative to preserve the endangered Mendriq language involves a collaborative project in Kampung Kuala Lah, where volunteers and locals, including 33-year-old Ida Terang, input words and audio pronunciations into Wiktionary. Despite challenges like smartphone unfamiliarity and ensuring accurate spellings, the team successfully documented 340 Mendriq words. This effort, triggered by concerns over the language’s potential extinction within 20 years, aligns with the Malaysian Education Ministry’s commitment to indigenous education and the Orang Asli Development Department’s (Jakoa) endeavors to preserve Orang Asli languages.
The brainchild of Wikimedia Community User Group Malaysia (Wikimedia Malaysia), the initiative is aimed at preserving the Mendriq language.
Wikimedia Malaysia organised a two-day programme in Kg Kuala Lah in October to input as many Mendriq words as possible onto Wiktionary.
The Mendriq are a minority subgroup under the Negrito Orang Asli group (which is one of the three main Orang Asli groups in Peninsular Malaysia, the other two being Senoi and Proto-Malay).
Over the years, it became increasingly challenging for the Mendriq elders to preserve their ancestral language as their tribe is dwindling in size with only about 600 of them left now. All of them are living in Kelantan in three locations – Kg Kuala Lah in Gua Musang and Kg Pasir Linggi and Sungai Tako in Kuala Krai.
Another reason for the low usage of the native language is the younger generation’s preference for the Kelantanese Malay dialect. They are simply more comfortable speaking in the local Malay dialect.
