In terms of history, Brunei was a seat of power of the powerful Malay empire prior to the coming of the Europeans in the 16th Century. This being so, Brunei would categorically fall as Bahasa speakers, the same language widely spoken today in Malaysia and Indonesia. Officially, the language is called Bahasa Melayu or Standard Malay. However, the current form of Standard Malay language to be heard from citizens of Brunei may stray a bit from their Malaysian and Indonesian counterparts. Standard Malay is used as a medium of instruction on most schools.