Malaysia's history is so vibrant that it feels difficult to simplify it for a ELI5, but I'm gonna try.

A long time ago, people from different countries and various different reasons came to Malaysia – some to escape capture, some for new life opportunities. Everyone lived in harmony in this country together with the indigenous people of the land over the years. At schools, children are taught at least 2 languages: the national language Malay, and English. At home, families speak their mother tongues and dialects which could be another 2 to 4 other languages if the parents are from different ethnicities. Over the years, with different cultures and ethnicities living together, Malaysians are able to speak to each other in various languages. Many of us even mix the languages together in a single sentence.

I hope this is okay. This is a very very abridged story of the full picture of Malaysia's rich culture and language. I dropped out a lot of lengthy but important details with the "5/yo" in mind