sejawat

Sejawat is a Malay term meaning a peer or colleague who holds a similar rank or position within an organization. It denotes equality of status rather than a superior-subordinate relationship. The word can refer to an individual as sejawat, or collectively as sejawat-sejawat. In formal writing and official communications, sejawat is used to address or refer to colleagues at the same level, for example in phrases like sejawat sekalian or sejawat saya.

The term is commonly employed in formal contexts such as government, corporate, and academic settings. In speech and writing, it can be used to address a group of colleagues as sejawat sekalian or to refer to one’s own colleague as sejawat saya. Its usage signals professional parity rather than authority over others.

Sejawat is widely used in Malaysia and Singapore. In Indonesia, the term is less common, with speakers more often using phrases such as rekan sejawat or rakan sekerja to convey the same idea of a colleague with equal status.

Etymology and nuance: The prefix se- conveys sameness or equality, while jawat relates to rank or office (as in jawatan). Therefore sejawat refers to people who share the same rank within a hierarchy. The term emphasizes professional parity rather than a supervisory relationship.