Though English became the official language of government, Malay was the national language, recognizing the status of Malays as the indigenous people of the region. The national anthem is in Malay, as are the parade commands of the Singaporean armed forces. All citizens would learn English in school. If you were Chinese or Indian, you would also learn Mandarin or Tamil, respectively. If you were Malay, you would study Malay. Everyone had to be at least bilingual; but your second language was to be determined by your ethnic origin.
