Definitely, yes! Many organisations, not only in Malaysia but globally, use "Deaf" in their names rather than terms like "hearing impaired," "deaf-mute," "deaf-dumb," "hearing loss," "听障," "cacat pendengaran," "kurang upaya pendengaran," or "bisu."

While these terms may seem respectful to you, as they may sound like polite or appropriate language, they actually demean the community. Using the term "Deaf," with a capital D, honours and dignifies our community. "Deaf" (or "Pekak" in Malay, or 聋人 in Chinese) reflects our linguistic and cultural identity, not a disability status.

That’s a medical perspective. The fact is, many Deaf people are born without the presence of hearing ability. Therefore, it’s not a "hearing loss" but rather a condition of "deafness"—and that’s the Deaf gain perspective.

Suppose I was born with hearing ability and could acquire at least one spoken language. I hear well, I speak well. Then one day, I lose the ability to hear sounds. I feel a sense of loss. This is hearing loss.

Now, if I were born without hearing ability but could acquire at least one spoken language, I might hear well with hearing aids, speak well, and have never experienced a "loss." This is deafness—an example of the Deaf gain perspective, which values Deafness as an identity, not as a deficit.

No, that’s actually incorrect. There are more than 300 sign languages worldwide. Just as there are over 7,000 spoken languages, it’s essential to specify which language you mean. In Malaysia, we communicate using BIM (Malaysian Sign Language). Therefore, it’s not accurate to say that Malaysian Deaf people simply "use sign language" without specifying which one. Would it make sense to ask if you “speak language” without specifying which one you use daily?

On that note, it’s always essential to use the correct terms, such as "BIM interpreter" instead of "sign language interpreters" and "BIM course" instead of "sign language course."

Just as you might master several spoken languages, we too can learn multiple sign languages. And, like spoken languages, it takes time and dedication to become fluent in other foreign sign languages!

Historically, BIM began as an acronym for Bahasa Isyarat Malaysia. However, over time, BIM has shifted from being simply an acronym to becoming its own distinct term. Today, BIM is no longer considered an acronym; it is a recognised term that refers specifically to the sign language used by the Deaf community in Malaysia.

Therefore, it is not encouraged to spell out BIM as Bahasa Isyarat Malaysia in an English context, as this could mislead people into thinking BIM is merely a short form. This might lead to assumptions that it’s acceptable to shorten Malaysian Sign Language to MSL or MySL—neither of which represent the language used by the Deaf community in Malaysia.

Generally, hearing people may not understand that BIM, like other sign languages, is a fully independent language with its own grammar and structure, separate from spoken languages. They often assume that communicating in BIM is simply a third way to express Malay, after speaking and writing. This leads to the misconception that one cannot acquire BIM without first understanding the Malay language.

This mindset has created challenges for the Deaf community in Malaysia, who continue to struggle for BIM to be recognized as a distinct language in the eyes of the law, rather than merely as "sign language" (which is viewed as a supplementary way to communicate). In essence, sign languages are full languages in their own right and should be included among the approximately 7,000 languages spoken worldwide.