National language has four official languages: English (Singapore English), Chinese, Malay and Tamil. Although English is the primary language of business, government, and education, Malay is designated as the national language. This is due to the geographical and historical ties to Malaysia as well as the recognition of ethnic Malays (about 14% of the population) as the indigenous people of Singapore. Traditionally, the lingua franca among the different ethnic groups in Singapore was Bazaar Malay, a Malay-based creole. Since independence, the government has been promoting English as the main language of Singapore. The bilingual education policy requires students to study two languages:
Plain English Commission (SEC) adopted in 1998. In 2011, PLAIN (Plain Language Action and Information Network) published "Federal Plain Language Guidelines". Click on the hyperlink to see the full citation. Plain English Plain English (or layman's terms) is language that is easy to understand, emphasizes clarity and brevity, and avoids overly complex vocabulary. Additionally, it is free of clichés and needless technical jargon, and should be appropriate to the audience's developmental or educational level and their familiarity with the topic. The term is commonly used when discussing government or business communication. The term derives from the 16th-century idiom "in plain English", meaning