There is a Malay proverb, "bahasa jiwa bangsa," which means language is the soul of a nation. According to this proverb, Malay language is a heritage and a symbol of culture for Malay people; without language people will not have their own identity and civilization. Therefore, the Malay proverb represents Malay people: it becomes the means by which others recognized the identity of the Malay themselves.
The proverb is one oral tradition of Malay culture that still exists, yet it is not widely used by Malays today. In fact, some of the younger Malay generation do not know what a proverb is and may have difficulty even understanding the meaning of one. Malay people are similar to their proverbs because Malay proverbs represent the traditional beliefs and ways of living.

The mindset of the Malay people is an important reason for recovering proverbs. It is important to all Malays, especially the younger Malay generations, to have a positive mindset, which can make them responsible and enlightened regarding their culture. The challenge to recover culturally infused language such as proverbs must be taken up because of the affects globalization has had eroding Malay culture.

The relationship between language and culture is very important. If one loses its meaning, the functionality of the other will be useless. To lose touch with one's heritage also means to lose identity, history, and experiences, which belong to Malay people.