The official language of Malaysia and its states of Sarawak and Sabah is ‘Bahasa Melayu’ (Malay). However, the dialect spoken in Sarawak is different from the Malaysian peninsula and the state of Sabah, as ‘Bahasa Sarawak’ is closer related to the Indonesian language. Sarawak represents a true patchwork of languages ​​and dialects. Each ethnic group has their own language, often subdivided in different dialects again. The Iban for example have their own tribal language, the local Chinese are divided into several distinct Chinese dialects, and the native tribe called Bidayuh consist of several sub-groups with different dialects too! However, English is widely spoken, mainly in towns and cities.