Jawi was developed during the advent of Islam in Maritime Southeast Asia, supplanting the earlier Brahmic scripts used during Hindu-Buddhist era.

[1] The ensuing trade expansions and the spread of Islam to other areas of Southeast Asia from the 15th century carried the Jawi alphabet beyond the traditional Malay-speaking world.

In Malaysia, the position of Jawi is protected under Section 9 of the National Language Act 1963/67, as it retains a degree of official use in religious and cultural contexts.

The earliest orthographic reform towards a standard system was in 1937 by The Malay Language and Johor Royal Literary Book Pact.

The word Jawi (جاوي) is a shortening of the term in Arabic: الجزائر الجاوي, romanized: Al-Jaza'ir Al-Jawi, lit.

The spread of Islam in Southeast Asia and the subsequent introduction of Arabic writing system began with the arrival of Muslim merchants in the region since the seventh century.

At the early stage of Islamisation, the Arabic script was taught to the people who had newly embraced Islam in the form of religious practices, such as the recitation of Quran as well as salat.

The inscription on the stone contains a proclamation issued by the "Sri Paduka Tuan" of Terengganu, urging his subjects to "extend and uphold" Islam and providing 10 basic Sharia laws for their guidance.

Due to their fairly limited usage, the spelling system of both scripts did not undergo similar advanced developments and modifications as experienced by Jawi.

The Malays held the script in high esteem, believing it was a gateway to understanding Islam and its Holy Book, the Quran.

It was used in royal correspondences, decrees, poems and was widely understood by the merchants in the port of Malacca as the main means of communication.

[citation needed] Jawi is a traditional symbol of Malay culture and civilisation, used not only amongst the ruling class, but also the common people.

[citation needed] The growth of the printing industry in early 20th century Malaysia saw the development of a wide range of Jawi literature.

This shift in usage led to Jawi becoming closely associated with Islam and Malay identity, with Rumi replacing its use for non-religious purposes.

[citation needed] Various efforts were in place to revive the Jawi script in Malaysia and Brunei due to its role in the Malay and Islamic spheres.

[citation needed] In August 2019, the Malaysian Government's plans to introduce the teaching of Jawi at the most basic level in ethnic Chinese and Tamil vernacular schools attracted opposition from ethnic Chinese and Indian education groups, which claimed that the move would lead to an Islamization of the Malaysian education system.

[23][24][25] The Chinese educationist group Dong Jiao Zong organised a conference calling on the Malaysian Government to rescind its decision in late December 2019.

Perhaps fearing violence, the Royal Malaysia Police obtained a court injunction against it on the grounds it would trigger ethnic tensions.

[32] The Pahang state government has since expanded the order and made it mandatory for every signage statewide including road signs to display Jawi alongside other scripts from 1 January 2020 after being delayed a few times.

ݢمرسيق ايراما مردو بولوه ڤريندو⹁ دان ڽاڽين ڤاري٢ دري کايڠن⹁ تيدقله داڤت تنترمکن سانوباري⹁ يڠ مندمباکن کڤستين کاسيهمو.‎ Kilauan intan berkelip-kelip di langit tinggi, Dan cahaya menari-nari di langit biru, Tidaklah dapat menenangkan perasaanku, Yang rindukan kehadiran kasih.

Gemersik irama merdu buluh perindu, Dan nyanyian pari-pari dari kayangan, Tidaklah dapat tenteramkan sanubari, Yang mendambakan kepastian kasihmu.

The melodious rhythm of the reed flute, And the chorus of nymphs from Heaven, Are not able to calm the soul, That craves the certainty of your Love.