Low Malay (popularly known as Chinese Malay), instead of Standard Malay or Riau Malay, has been the language used in the indigenous Indonesian newspapers since its inception in the 19th century. Its forceful and dynamic character makes it close to the heart of the readers not only of newspapers but also of popular novels and magazines.

In the 1938 Congress of Bahasa Indonesia there is a resolution to use standard Malay/Indonesian in the newspapers. It is repeated again in the 1957 Congress. But only in the 60's, after the demise of the newspapers Keng Pio and Sin Po, Low Malay vanished completely from the journalistic scene, substituted by the more standard variety.

In this paper data are presented to illustrate the evolution of the language used in the Indonesian newspapers.