LAH… That special particle of language endemic to Malaysia and Singapore…

Almost all foreigners who have dealt with people from these two countries have asked what LAH means and what exactly it is used for. Many people have tried in vain to give them a decent answer.

It is sad to say that there has been no official explanation given by educational authorities to enlighten these poor foreigners. Therefore, I shall attempt to unravel this challenging mystery of LAH.

Some people claim that LAH originates from one of the chinese dialects. I disagree.

I believe it comes from the Malay language. The main function of LAH is to emphasize or stress a point.

Sample
(Malay)
Ali bertanya, “Awak pasti awak cinta dia?” Zaidi menjawab, “Tentu-lah pasti, sebab itu saya akan kawhin dia.” 
(Translated to English)
Ali asks, “Are you sure you love her?” Zaidi answers, “Of course I’m sure. That’s why I’m going to marry her.”

However, LAH has become so popular that it is being used indiscriminately. In fact, …… (to be continued)