QUESTION TIME
By P. GUNASEGARAM
If Malaysians can get cheap education at school level in Malay, Chinese and Tamil, why not include English in the list.
WHICHEVER way one looks at it, it is obvious that the decision to revert to Malay, Chinese and Tamil for the teaching of science and maths from 2012, has been politically motivated, with an eye on the next general election.
When the major government parties and those in opposition are united in their stance that maths and science should be taught in the mother tongues of students, what choice has the Government but give that back to them, irrespective of whether it may harm the students and the country in the long term.
Sometimes one wishes that all Cabinet members sent their children to national schools or were required to do so.
In that way, they would be forced to make the best decisions because they want the best for their own children, and therefore be less influenced by political considerations.
Then they would have considered other solutions to satisfy all groups in the country and which would have been perfectly workable. One such solution is simply to give choice to parents and pupils.
If parents wanted science and maths to be taught in English to their children, let them do so affordably by allowing these in national schools. That’s not as difficult or as impractical as it sounds, as we shall explain.
One of the major arguments for teaching science and maths in Malay and the vernacular languages is that these subjects are learned more easily if they are taught in the mother tongue.
The Education Ministry and advocates of rolling back the teaching of science and maths in English should have taken the trouble to establish what percentage of Malaysian households consider English as virtually their mother tongue and use it as the primary language of communication between household members. I suspect the numbers are large.
When then Prime Minister Datuk Seri (now Tun) Dr Mahathir Mohamad announced his intention to resign at an Umno meeting in 2002, then Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri (now Tan Sri) Rafidah Aziz rushed up to him and asked, in English, “Why?”
It was Mahathir, a year later, who made the decision to go back to English for science and maths after having overseen the switch to Malay first as Education Minister and then Prime Minister, virtually admitting his mistake of carrying the language policy too far.
Every business meeting I have attended for many years is in English, I speak in English much more than I speak in any other language to my friends – of all races. The language I use with my children is English and my children speak with all their cousins in English.
This is not to say that other languages are not important but only to say that English is important – to a whole lot of people from all races in the country.
And English is also important, as everybody admits, for the overall development of the country and to be clued into what happens around the world.
Right now, and for the last six years, science and maths have been taught in English. Despite everything that the Government says, it is inevitable that after six years, at least half of these teachers will have developed some capability to teach in English.
If they have not, these teachers must be purged from the education system and be replaced with others because six years is long enough.
Since there are two clear years and six months to the implementation of the new policy in 2012, there is actually plenty of time to iron out any difficulties and anticipate the problems that might arise.
Parents should be required to register their children for schools when the children reach the age of four or five. At that time, they can also be required to state their preferred choice of language for science and maths.
And then they can be allocated to schools according to the medium of instruction.
So two to three years before the students are enrolled in school, the education ministry will have a clear indication of how many students want to be educated in the various languages and simply make the appropriate provisions.
The numbers are not likely to vary substantially year-to-year since such long-term decisions are not typically changed at the drop of a hat.
Then, with all the teachers they already have in stock who can teach science and maths in English, and those they can train, it really should be a cinch to synchronise the manpower accordingly and satisfy all sectors of the population.
It is important to remember that only the very rich and influential can get their children educated in English at the moment.
Even private Malaysian schools are obliged to follow the Malay, Chinese or Tamil mediums of instruction, with no provision for English.
The only ones allowed an English medium are the international schools. Many Malaysians, who no doubt include politicians who support the recent reversal, have used their influence to send their children there, but that avenue is firmly shut to the very vast majority of Malaysians.
There is choice only if there is a viable alternative, and that is to give affordable English education, at least for science and maths, to those who want it in national schools or schools which are about as cheap as that.
Here is an extract from a profile of a prominent former politician and current businessman on his website: “Being a youth of the 40s, during a period when the British Colonial Policy encouraged Malays to attend Malay schools, when Malay parents worried about the possible influence of an English education on their children’s religious faith and cultural identity, Daim and his parents were able to transcend these limitations.
“In fact, his broad-minded parents enrolled all their children at English-medium schools as they did not want their children to become ‘better farmers and fishermen’.” That person in question is of course former finance minister Tun Daim Zainuddin, now by some accounts a billionaire businessman. You can read the full profile at http://daimzainuddin.com/TunDaimProfile.htm.
Should we not give that same opportunity to everyone in Malaysia if they wanted to have it, instead of just the elite and the rich?
Really, it is still not too late. The new policy comes into effect only in 2012, plenty of time to give choices to everyone. When the Government does not know what is best, or is unable to give it, choice is simply preferable.
Managing editor P. Gunasegaram believes courage and honesty is important to do the “right” thing.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Thursday, July 9, 2009
It’s saddening, says Mahathir
PUTRAJAYA: The future of our schoolchildren will be compromised with the Government reversing the teaching of Science and Mathematics from English to Bahasa Malaysia, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said.
Dr Mahathir, who was behind the original policy of teaching both subjects in English, said his intention was to ensure that Malaysians were able to face global challenges at the earliest opportunity.
Expressing sadness on the policy reversal, he said schoolchildren would find it difficult to know more about the developments in the field of Science.
“These matters, of course, cannot be resolved overnight. But it’s the Government’s responsibility to train and supply capable teachers. I’m confident that our teachers will be able to study and teach in English,” he told reporters at his Perdana Leadership Foundation office yesterday.
Dr Mahathir said it was good that more teachers would be trained in English.
“But if we can train teachers to learn English, why can’t we do the same by training them to learn and teach Science and Mathematics in English?,” the former Prime Minister asked.
Dr Mahathir also questioned why no one protested when the medium of teaching in English in the colonial times was changed to Bahasa Malaysia.
“And at that time, not many teachers knew the national language. Now, it’s all right if we mix a little bit of Malay and English, but at the same time we need to improve the ability of our teachers too,” he added.
On his meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is the Education Minister, before the new policy was announced, Dr Mahathir said he was only given a briefing.
Dr Mahathir, who was behind the original policy of teaching both subjects in English, said his intention was to ensure that Malaysians were able to face global challenges at the earliest opportunity.
Expressing sadness on the policy reversal, he said schoolchildren would find it difficult to know more about the developments in the field of Science.
“These matters, of course, cannot be resolved overnight. But it’s the Government’s responsibility to train and supply capable teachers. I’m confident that our teachers will be able to study and teach in English,” he told reporters at his Perdana Leadership Foundation office yesterday.
Dr Mahathir said it was good that more teachers would be trained in English.
“But if we can train teachers to learn English, why can’t we do the same by training them to learn and teach Science and Mathematics in English?,” the former Prime Minister asked.
Dr Mahathir also questioned why no one protested when the medium of teaching in English in the colonial times was changed to Bahasa Malaysia.
“And at that time, not many teachers knew the national language. Now, it’s all right if we mix a little bit of Malay and English, but at the same time we need to improve the ability of our teachers too,” he added.
On his meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is the Education Minister, before the new policy was announced, Dr Mahathir said he was only given a briefing.
Parents unhappy over decision to revert
KUALA LUMPUR: Many parents and students are very disappointed at the Cabinet’s decision to reverse the Teaching of Science and Mathematics policy.
Said mother of three Kam Swee Har: “Language is not just about teaching grammar and writing essays; it is the whole application of the language.
“The exposure is different when you’re learning technical subjects like Science or Maths.”
Engineer and father of four, Sulaiman Mahran, agreed: “Technical terms need to be absorbed in English, so strengthening English in general is not going to help in Maths and Science.”
Azra Banu, who has a child in Year Six, pointed out that it is the rural students who will lose out in the long run.
Businesswoman Haili Abdul Jamil, who has two children in Years One and Two, is seriously considering enrolling her children in an international school following the decision.
The impact of the decision is particularly hard on students who will enter Form Four in 2012.
Form One student Anisa Sulaiman is anxious about switching to Bahasa Malaysia in the two subjects when she gets into Form Four in 2012.
“I have been learning Maths and Science in English, so it will be difficult if we change the medium of instruction later on,” she said.
In Penang, Han Chiang High School Just English centre adviser Ooi Lay Le said the standard of English among students would drop if the two subjects were not taught in the language.
“We are going backwards,” said Ooi who has been teaching for 40 years.
SJK (C) Union Bahasa Malaysia Committee head Cheah Choo Suan, 55, said teaching the subjects in English would have helped broaden students’ knowledge of new terminologies and improve their command of the language.
Year Five student R. Abirami, 11, from SK Convent Green Lane, said it would be hard for her to adapt to the new system.
“We have memorised the scientific terms in English,” she said. “I’m afraid it will be hard to re-learn them in Bahasa Malaysia.”
In Johor, some parents are even considering sending their children to Singapore where they can learn in English.
Dr Santhi Sivalingam Moorthy, 41, said she would seriously consider transferring her three children, aged between five and 10, to Singapore schools now.
Said mother of three Kam Swee Har: “Language is not just about teaching grammar and writing essays; it is the whole application of the language.
“The exposure is different when you’re learning technical subjects like Science or Maths.”
Engineer and father of four, Sulaiman Mahran, agreed: “Technical terms need to be absorbed in English, so strengthening English in general is not going to help in Maths and Science.”
Azra Banu, who has a child in Year Six, pointed out that it is the rural students who will lose out in the long run.
Businesswoman Haili Abdul Jamil, who has two children in Years One and Two, is seriously considering enrolling her children in an international school following the decision.
The impact of the decision is particularly hard on students who will enter Form Four in 2012.
Form One student Anisa Sulaiman is anxious about switching to Bahasa Malaysia in the two subjects when she gets into Form Four in 2012.
“I have been learning Maths and Science in English, so it will be difficult if we change the medium of instruction later on,” she said.
In Penang, Han Chiang High School Just English centre adviser Ooi Lay Le said the standard of English among students would drop if the two subjects were not taught in the language.
“We are going backwards,” said Ooi who has been teaching for 40 years.
SJK (C) Union Bahasa Malaysia Committee head Cheah Choo Suan, 55, said teaching the subjects in English would have helped broaden students’ knowledge of new terminologies and improve their command of the language.
Year Five student R. Abirami, 11, from SK Convent Green Lane, said it would be hard for her to adapt to the new system.
“We have memorised the scientific terms in English,” she said. “I’m afraid it will be hard to re-learn them in Bahasa Malaysia.”
In Johor, some parents are even considering sending their children to Singapore where they can learn in English.
Dr Santhi Sivalingam Moorthy, 41, said she would seriously consider transferring her three children, aged between five and 10, to Singapore schools now.
English as an Option for Maths & Science
We have now know the decision of the government to revert back to BM and a step back in education for us. The funny part we still maintain English in Science and Maths for Form 6 and Matriculation, so how does student adapt the change here?
If this is the final decision by the government, then the government should also be fair in providing options to parentsin choosing schools that educate kids English for this 2 subjects or each school should have at least 1 or 2 classroom tocater for this purpose or have selected schools like all the LaSalle Schools and certain private schools to adapt to this method.
Another way if in a town where there is no private school or a LaSalle School then select one school to adoptthis or cater classrooms for this. As a start we may start with certain Schools in major cities. Many parents who are annoyedwould agree on this method.
Then we have a balance of both worlds for all kids and parents. We as the government and public should not be deprived ofall this in any way. Since independent days to late 70 ‘s all was in English and there was no option.
See at our past ministers and those educated in LaSalle School, compare their English, Science and also their communication skills. Then 80’s began the BM trend, where were left behind in our education standards from the rest of the region around us.
Was it our wrong policy or decision. We can’t undo what has been done.
But Dr. M tried to rectify it an many applauded especially those in cities and who know the important of English is this 2 fields or any other fields. Now, if we give options to parents they would also want the best for the kids, so does any one of us for seeing our kids being success full one day and giving him a head start plus an advantage in the world with this option.
If this is done then the rules to LaSalle school to make it a must to educate mother tongue to all students must also be implemented:-
A Chinese student must learn to read and speak mandarin,
a Punjabi kid should be able to learn to read and write Punjabi,
a Muslim student must learn to read Jawi and also understand the Quran.
All this can be implemented as a must if the parentschoose to send the kids to this kind of school so there would be a balance on both ends. Hiring language teachers plusimplementing this should be adopted or learned from our next door neighbours Singapore where every Saturday is Language dayfor students and they get together at designated schools to do so.
Then we are practicing what’s is in our constitutions freedom to preach and practice. Never to deprive any one in our country. Allow allequal access to information for the development of the nation.
The government would develop better citizens with this method plus strict implementation and monitoring on all grounds. No doubt the decision has been made on this matter, but fine tuning it would help us further. Nothing is written on concrete for usnot to change and amend accordingly for our future generation.
The advantage of this is lower on morale issues as activities is createdfor students and parents to participate. At the same time the Education Ministry may consider December Schooling to assist students who need help, students who need proper development or for those special care and morale development. It becomes like a summer school activity as in US or UK and Australia.
With Regards
from
Amarjeet Singh Sran
If this is the final decision by the government, then the government should also be fair in providing options to parentsin choosing schools that educate kids English for this 2 subjects or each school should have at least 1 or 2 classroom tocater for this purpose or have selected schools like all the LaSalle Schools and certain private schools to adapt to this method.
Another way if in a town where there is no private school or a LaSalle School then select one school to adoptthis or cater classrooms for this. As a start we may start with certain Schools in major cities. Many parents who are annoyedwould agree on this method.
Then we have a balance of both worlds for all kids and parents. We as the government and public should not be deprived ofall this in any way. Since independent days to late 70 ‘s all was in English and there was no option.
See at our past ministers and those educated in LaSalle School, compare their English, Science and also their communication skills. Then 80’s began the BM trend, where were left behind in our education standards from the rest of the region around us.
Was it our wrong policy or decision. We can’t undo what has been done.
But Dr. M tried to rectify it an many applauded especially those in cities and who know the important of English is this 2 fields or any other fields. Now, if we give options to parents they would also want the best for the kids, so does any one of us for seeing our kids being success full one day and giving him a head start plus an advantage in the world with this option.
If this is done then the rules to LaSalle school to make it a must to educate mother tongue to all students must also be implemented:-
A Chinese student must learn to read and speak mandarin,
a Punjabi kid should be able to learn to read and write Punjabi,
a Muslim student must learn to read Jawi and also understand the Quran.
All this can be implemented as a must if the parentschoose to send the kids to this kind of school so there would be a balance on both ends. Hiring language teachers plusimplementing this should be adopted or learned from our next door neighbours Singapore where every Saturday is Language dayfor students and they get together at designated schools to do so.
Then we are practicing what’s is in our constitutions freedom to preach and practice. Never to deprive any one in our country. Allow allequal access to information for the development of the nation.
The government would develop better citizens with this method plus strict implementation and monitoring on all grounds. No doubt the decision has been made on this matter, but fine tuning it would help us further. Nothing is written on concrete for usnot to change and amend accordingly for our future generation.
The advantage of this is lower on morale issues as activities is createdfor students and parents to participate. At the same time the Education Ministry may consider December Schooling to assist students who need help, students who need proper development or for those special care and morale development. It becomes like a summer school activity as in US or UK and Australia.
With Regards
from
Amarjeet Singh Sran
Friday, June 19, 2009
English not the issue, students’ competence counts
I REFER to the article in The Star on June 12 titled “Let’s just stick to English” by P.
Gunasegaram. I agree with the writer on two aspects: that the authorities should not use the compulsory English idea to “barter away Science and Mathematics in English” and that “language must be used if competence is to be gained.” I have not seen any other writers in this topic mention these two ideas.
With regards to making a pass in the English paper compulsory for the SPM certificate, and this is far from a new idea, I was thinking in terms of the effects. Who will suffer most if this policy is implemented?
Most students, whatever the race, who get a string of A’s, invariably will get an A for English, or at least a good credit. You hardly come across someone who gets 9 A’s and an F in English. This I belive is true and can be verified. Also, the SPM English paper nowadays is like the Standard Six English paper of yesteryear.
Students who fail English will most probably fail or get only below average results in the other subjects.
Take the rural students. Generally, the performance of rural students is poorer than the urban students, or so it is said. Even without statistics, I am inclined to believe this.
Nevertheless, even among those from the rural areas, there is, I believe, a strong correlation between those who do well in other subjects and those who do well in English.
My point is English is not a stand-alone subject, in terms of performance by students. If you can do well in other subjects, you can do well in English. If you don’t do well in English, you don’t do well in other subjects too. I don’t have the statistics but I believe this is true.
So who will suffer if English is made compulsory? It is the weak students who do not do well in the SPM even if English is not compulsory. Will making English compulsory make any difference? The failures will still fail, and the good ones will still pass.
Will making English compulsory motivate the weak students to do well overall? Pipe-dreams, I would say.
So why make English compulsory? If they do make English compulsory, they are going to spend huge amounts of money for all sorts of gizmos and programmes. I should have asked “Who will stand to gain if English is made compulsory?”, instead of “Who will suffer?”
EX-TEACHER,Kuala Lumpur.
Gunasegaram. I agree with the writer on two aspects: that the authorities should not use the compulsory English idea to “barter away Science and Mathematics in English” and that “language must be used if competence is to be gained.” I have not seen any other writers in this topic mention these two ideas.
With regards to making a pass in the English paper compulsory for the SPM certificate, and this is far from a new idea, I was thinking in terms of the effects. Who will suffer most if this policy is implemented?
Most students, whatever the race, who get a string of A’s, invariably will get an A for English, or at least a good credit. You hardly come across someone who gets 9 A’s and an F in English. This I belive is true and can be verified. Also, the SPM English paper nowadays is like the Standard Six English paper of yesteryear.
Students who fail English will most probably fail or get only below average results in the other subjects.
Take the rural students. Generally, the performance of rural students is poorer than the urban students, or so it is said. Even without statistics, I am inclined to believe this.
Nevertheless, even among those from the rural areas, there is, I believe, a strong correlation between those who do well in other subjects and those who do well in English.
My point is English is not a stand-alone subject, in terms of performance by students. If you can do well in other subjects, you can do well in English. If you don’t do well in English, you don’t do well in other subjects too. I don’t have the statistics but I believe this is true.
So who will suffer if English is made compulsory? It is the weak students who do not do well in the SPM even if English is not compulsory. Will making English compulsory make any difference? The failures will still fail, and the good ones will still pass.
Will making English compulsory motivate the weak students to do well overall? Pipe-dreams, I would say.
So why make English compulsory? If they do make English compulsory, they are going to spend huge amounts of money for all sorts of gizmos and programmes. I should have asked “Who will stand to gain if English is made compulsory?”, instead of “Who will suffer?”
EX-TEACHER,Kuala Lumpur.
Why the need to go English
THIS issue of teaching Science and Mathematics in English has been discussed, debated, demonstrated against, and aired for and against in letters to the press that we seem to have worked ourselves to near-frenzy. Let us calm down and consider what is at stake.
We Malaysians had a strong foundation in the English language until the mid-1970s when the medium of instruction was switched from English to Bahasa Malaysia.
Thirty years after that change, which was made under Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the then Minister of Education, the general level of English proficiency and, arguably, the standard of education, declined alarmingly. The thought of re-introducing English-medium schools is now finding growing appeal.
In 2003, a year before he stepped down as the PM, Dr Mahathir partly reversed his action of 30 years ago by introducing PPSMI , starting with Standard One in 2003.
There has always been opposition to PPSMI from certain quarters. The reasons include that English is a colonial baggage, and that a person with an English-language education is not patriotic or nationalistic.
Our Tunku Abdul Rahman and all our other Prime Ministers and world leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Nelson Mandela were patriotic despite their having been wholly or largely English-educated.
It was also argued that Bahasa Malaysia will be marginalised. Most continental Europeans learn English in school to a high level of proficiency, yet they remain Dutch, Danes, Swedes or Germans in language and culture.
The opposition to the English language does not open us Malaysians to an increasingly globalised word. Surely an insular stance is no strategy for producing towering Malays and Malaysians!
The opposition has been directed against the English language in general, but we are talking about the use of English in the teaching of Science and Mathematics, not in the teaching of all subjects.
Without a competence in English for Science and Mathematicss, we would have to use translations.But translations are a poor alternative as they are not always good or accurate and they need people who are good at both English and Malay, on top of being knowledgeable in their field and there are few such people.
Scientists and mathematicians of note would prefer to make a name for themselves in their field rather than in doing translations. And good translations will always be late in becoming available.
Has the experiment come full cycle? Under PPSMI, students beginning with Standard One in 2003 would sit for the SPM examination in 2013. But now, midway through the programme, the policy is being re-examined.
We have not produced even one cohort of students who had studied Science and Maths wholly in English and the performance data for such cohort will be available only after the SPM examination in 2013.
Even then, we shall have only one PPSMI cohort to compare against the many previous cohorts from the fully Bahasa Malaysia stream. Comparing a single variate (performance data in this case) against a sample of variates is not a good basis for comparison. Then again, with one variate from which to draw any inference, we cannot comment on a trend whether there is a decline or improvement in performance.
The experiment has not come through one cycle. It should go through a few more cycles to provide sufficient data for a statistical analysis. Changing the PPSMI policy will produce only confused students for those caught midway.
The situation is not a move to marginalise Bahasa Malaysia but rather a strategy to provide our students with the best tool, that is English, to learn Science and Mathematics. Without this tool, our students will largely have to make do with translations, with their inherent shortcomings.
Our future generations may not be able to walk alongside the Science and Maths bigwigs on the world stage, they will merely trail behind. They will forever have to make the effort to catch up.
LIM CHIN LAM,Penang.
We Malaysians had a strong foundation in the English language until the mid-1970s when the medium of instruction was switched from English to Bahasa Malaysia.
Thirty years after that change, which was made under Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the then Minister of Education, the general level of English proficiency and, arguably, the standard of education, declined alarmingly. The thought of re-introducing English-medium schools is now finding growing appeal.
In 2003, a year before he stepped down as the PM, Dr Mahathir partly reversed his action of 30 years ago by introducing PPSMI , starting with Standard One in 2003.
There has always been opposition to PPSMI from certain quarters. The reasons include that English is a colonial baggage, and that a person with an English-language education is not patriotic or nationalistic.
Our Tunku Abdul Rahman and all our other Prime Ministers and world leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Nelson Mandela were patriotic despite their having been wholly or largely English-educated.
It was also argued that Bahasa Malaysia will be marginalised. Most continental Europeans learn English in school to a high level of proficiency, yet they remain Dutch, Danes, Swedes or Germans in language and culture.
The opposition to the English language does not open us Malaysians to an increasingly globalised word. Surely an insular stance is no strategy for producing towering Malays and Malaysians!
The opposition has been directed against the English language in general, but we are talking about the use of English in the teaching of Science and Mathematics, not in the teaching of all subjects.
Without a competence in English for Science and Mathematicss, we would have to use translations.But translations are a poor alternative as they are not always good or accurate and they need people who are good at both English and Malay, on top of being knowledgeable in their field and there are few such people.
Scientists and mathematicians of note would prefer to make a name for themselves in their field rather than in doing translations. And good translations will always be late in becoming available.
Has the experiment come full cycle? Under PPSMI, students beginning with Standard One in 2003 would sit for the SPM examination in 2013. But now, midway through the programme, the policy is being re-examined.
We have not produced even one cohort of students who had studied Science and Maths wholly in English and the performance data for such cohort will be available only after the SPM examination in 2013.
Even then, we shall have only one PPSMI cohort to compare against the many previous cohorts from the fully Bahasa Malaysia stream. Comparing a single variate (performance data in this case) against a sample of variates is not a good basis for comparison. Then again, with one variate from which to draw any inference, we cannot comment on a trend whether there is a decline or improvement in performance.
The experiment has not come through one cycle. It should go through a few more cycles to provide sufficient data for a statistical analysis. Changing the PPSMI policy will produce only confused students for those caught midway.
The situation is not a move to marginalise Bahasa Malaysia but rather a strategy to provide our students with the best tool, that is English, to learn Science and Mathematics. Without this tool, our students will largely have to make do with translations, with their inherent shortcomings.
Our future generations may not be able to walk alongside the Science and Maths bigwigs on the world stage, they will merely trail behind. They will forever have to make the effort to catch up.
LIM CHIN LAM,Penang.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
What about English in Accountancy?
RECENTLY, there have been heated debates on using English medium in the teaching of Science and Maths.
Policy makers should ask themselves which medium adopted would benefit the development of our young generation and hence bring our country to a higher level of development and being able to compete globally.
We should not make changes just because we face difficulty in implementation. We should identify the problems and rectify them.
Another subject which the Education Minister should seriously consider using English as a medium is Accounts. I don’t see the benefits of teaching Accounts in Bahasa Malaysia as the Malaysian accounting standards (FRS) are adopted from International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS ) which are written in English.
Students and working adults who wish to pursue further in accounting as their career by taking professional paper, such as LCCI or ACCA, will face difficulty in understanding the accounting terms as both papers will be set in English .
In addition , in today’s corporate world, have you come across any financial report published in Bahasa Malaysia?
I remember how during my university studies, I faced lots of problems in accounting subject as all reference books are in English. Should accounting be taught in English then, I believe I could progress better.
The same problem is being faced by my students now and they also wish that English was used as a medium of teaching at secondary schools. Hence, I urge the Minister to seriously consider switching accounting subject to English for the benefit of all parties.
CONCERNED CITIZEN,
Kulim, Kedah.
Policy makers should ask themselves which medium adopted would benefit the development of our young generation and hence bring our country to a higher level of development and being able to compete globally.
We should not make changes just because we face difficulty in implementation. We should identify the problems and rectify them.
Another subject which the Education Minister should seriously consider using English as a medium is Accounts. I don’t see the benefits of teaching Accounts in Bahasa Malaysia as the Malaysian accounting standards (FRS) are adopted from International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS ) which are written in English.
Students and working adults who wish to pursue further in accounting as their career by taking professional paper, such as LCCI or ACCA, will face difficulty in understanding the accounting terms as both papers will be set in English .
In addition , in today’s corporate world, have you come across any financial report published in Bahasa Malaysia?
I remember how during my university studies, I faced lots of problems in accounting subject as all reference books are in English. Should accounting be taught in English then, I believe I could progress better.
The same problem is being faced by my students now and they also wish that English was used as a medium of teaching at secondary schools. Hence, I urge the Minister to seriously consider switching accounting subject to English for the benefit of all parties.
CONCERNED CITIZEN,
Kulim, Kedah.
Hand back ‘Saint’ schools to the La Salle Brothers
YOUR report “An end of an era for La Sallians” (The Star, May 1) stirred deep emotions in the hearts of those who had studied at the 50 La Salle schools in the country. The exit of Bro Paul Ho, the last Brother Director from St Xavier’s Institution does look like the end of an era.
But Old Xaverians and Old Lasallians do pray that Bro Paul’s retirement would not be the end of the involvement of Christian Brothers in Malaysian schools. At the recent Yayasan La Salle Board meeting on June 6, former UPM Vice Chancellor Tan Sri Syed Jalaluddin, an Old Xaverian, made a passionate plea for the Christian Brothers to stay engaged in Malaysia. The meeting was chaired by Tan Sri Kamarulzaman Shariff, another Old Xaverian and a former Mayor of Kuala Lumpur, who mandated Syed Jalaluddin to sketch out a road map for the coming years.
Old Lasallians like Syed Jalaluddin and Kamarulzaman value what the Brothers have done and wish that they can do more. Unfortunately, the congregation of La Salle Brothers worldwide has shrunk. Fewer and fewer youths in the modern world are prepared to embrace the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience for the sake of educating children from impoverished families. The Brothers have to conserve their manpower and deploy their resources smartly.
The present thinking is that Old La Sallians who have friends in high places should convince the Government to hand back two schools, St John’s Institution and St. Xavier’s Institution, to the La Salle Brothers to manage and administer. At the same time, the Government should convert both schools from being sekolah bantuan modal into sekolah-sekolah bantuan penoh.
Schools like St John’s and St Xavier’s have shown that they have withstood the test of time.
After all, St John’s has produced Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, the present Prime Minister; Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, Home Minister; Datuk Sri Nazir Tun Razak, the banker and younger brother of Najib and Raja Nazrin Shah, the Raja Muda of Perak.
St Xavier’s has produced Karpal Singh, the opposition leader; Tun Hamid Omar, the former Lord President; Tan Sri Nor Nor Mohamed Yakcop, the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department.
Both schools can be depended upon to make proper use of the financial resources and enhanced powers given to them. They should be challenged - at the right moment - to bring back the academic and extra-curricular excellence that they had enjoyed in the past. These include competency in the English language, both written and spoken.
I believe making St John’s and St Xavier’s fully-aided schools and mandating the La Salle Brothers and the respective boards of governors to administer them is the answer. Taking both schools private sounds great in theory but in practice, funds would have to be raised all the time.
Fees have to be charged and revised upward regularly.
Those students who cannot pay would have to be barred from attending classes. The La Salle Brothers would not be comfortable with a fee-based regime. Their philosophy is to provide education to those who need it, not only to those who can pay for it.
Syed Jalaluddin’s mission is delicate and important. As someone who had studied in a La Salle school and who had worked as a Vice Chancellor of a public university, he can bridge the communication gap between the La Salle Brothers and the politicians and civil servants.
He can get a dialogue going. For all you know, he may find an ally in the person of the PM since Najib is an Old Lasallian.
Dr GOH CHENG TEIK,
Kuala Lumpur.
But Old Xaverians and Old Lasallians do pray that Bro Paul’s retirement would not be the end of the involvement of Christian Brothers in Malaysian schools. At the recent Yayasan La Salle Board meeting on June 6, former UPM Vice Chancellor Tan Sri Syed Jalaluddin, an Old Xaverian, made a passionate plea for the Christian Brothers to stay engaged in Malaysia. The meeting was chaired by Tan Sri Kamarulzaman Shariff, another Old Xaverian and a former Mayor of Kuala Lumpur, who mandated Syed Jalaluddin to sketch out a road map for the coming years.
Old Lasallians like Syed Jalaluddin and Kamarulzaman value what the Brothers have done and wish that they can do more. Unfortunately, the congregation of La Salle Brothers worldwide has shrunk. Fewer and fewer youths in the modern world are prepared to embrace the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience for the sake of educating children from impoverished families. The Brothers have to conserve their manpower and deploy their resources smartly.
The present thinking is that Old La Sallians who have friends in high places should convince the Government to hand back two schools, St John’s Institution and St. Xavier’s Institution, to the La Salle Brothers to manage and administer. At the same time, the Government should convert both schools from being sekolah bantuan modal into sekolah-sekolah bantuan penoh.
Schools like St John’s and St Xavier’s have shown that they have withstood the test of time.
After all, St John’s has produced Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, the present Prime Minister; Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, Home Minister; Datuk Sri Nazir Tun Razak, the banker and younger brother of Najib and Raja Nazrin Shah, the Raja Muda of Perak.
St Xavier’s has produced Karpal Singh, the opposition leader; Tun Hamid Omar, the former Lord President; Tan Sri Nor Nor Mohamed Yakcop, the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department.
Both schools can be depended upon to make proper use of the financial resources and enhanced powers given to them. They should be challenged - at the right moment - to bring back the academic and extra-curricular excellence that they had enjoyed in the past. These include competency in the English language, both written and spoken.
I believe making St John’s and St Xavier’s fully-aided schools and mandating the La Salle Brothers and the respective boards of governors to administer them is the answer. Taking both schools private sounds great in theory but in practice, funds would have to be raised all the time.
Fees have to be charged and revised upward regularly.
Those students who cannot pay would have to be barred from attending classes. The La Salle Brothers would not be comfortable with a fee-based regime. Their philosophy is to provide education to those who need it, not only to those who can pay for it.
Syed Jalaluddin’s mission is delicate and important. As someone who had studied in a La Salle school and who had worked as a Vice Chancellor of a public university, he can bridge the communication gap between the La Salle Brothers and the politicians and civil servants.
He can get a dialogue going. For all you know, he may find an ally in the person of the PM since Najib is an Old Lasallian.
Dr GOH CHENG TEIK,
Kuala Lumpur.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
DPM: Students must improve command of English
KUALA LUMPUR: The Govern-ment recognises the need to improve students’ command of English to ensure they can compete globally.
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said students must be proficient in the language and have other skills to interact with the global community and tap into knowledge.
Taking position: Najib, Muhyiddin and delegates posing for a group photograph following the launch of the conference in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
“Equity of access must be demonstrated in the provision of the knowledge and skills that will facilitate this access,” he said when delivering his welcome remarks before Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak opened the 17th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.
“While we are aware of the importance of mother tongue instruction in the early years of childhood education, we also need to address the future needs of our youth,” he said.
Muhyiddin, who is Education Minister, said Malaysia has always believed in the sharing of experience and knowledge through partnerships with each other in the region and beyond to attain Unesco’s Education for All goals.
As lack of resources often limits access to universal education, all stakeholders including governments, donors and the people must act to overcome it.
He said Malaysia was working with its Seameo, Asean and Unesco partners to make Education for All a reality.
The conference, which was also the golden jubilee celebration of the first Commonwealth Education Ministers’ Meeting in Oxford in 1959, was an ideal platform to minimise the impact of the global economic crisis on the education system of member states, he added.
Speaking to reporters later, Muhyiddin said the Government was close to making a decision on the language of instruction for Mathematics and Science.
“I will be briefing the Prime Minister soon.”
The Teaching of Mathematics and Science in English policy was introduced in stages, starting with Year One, Form One and Lower Six students, in 2003.
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said students must be proficient in the language and have other skills to interact with the global community and tap into knowledge.
Taking position: Najib, Muhyiddin and delegates posing for a group photograph following the launch of the conference in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
“Equity of access must be demonstrated in the provision of the knowledge and skills that will facilitate this access,” he said when delivering his welcome remarks before Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak opened the 17th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.
“While we are aware of the importance of mother tongue instruction in the early years of childhood education, we also need to address the future needs of our youth,” he said.
Muhyiddin, who is Education Minister, said Malaysia has always believed in the sharing of experience and knowledge through partnerships with each other in the region and beyond to attain Unesco’s Education for All goals.
As lack of resources often limits access to universal education, all stakeholders including governments, donors and the people must act to overcome it.
He said Malaysia was working with its Seameo, Asean and Unesco partners to make Education for All a reality.
The conference, which was also the golden jubilee celebration of the first Commonwealth Education Ministers’ Meeting in Oxford in 1959, was an ideal platform to minimise the impact of the global economic crisis on the education system of member states, he added.
Speaking to reporters later, Muhyiddin said the Government was close to making a decision on the language of instruction for Mathematics and Science.
“I will be briefing the Prime Minister soon.”
The Teaching of Mathematics and Science in English policy was introduced in stages, starting with Year One, Form One and Lower Six students, in 2003.
Watch what you say to kids
MALAYSIA seems to be the most discussed topic and many great minds have spoken and written about its fundamentals and principles in line with our Prime Minister’s vision.
The PM has taken much effort to persuade the citizens of Malaysia to embrace the concept and most conventions and conferences organised by the Government have focused in creating awareness of 1Malaysia to all.
Malaysia has eight tenets which our PM has encouraged us to explore. He wants 1Malaysia to grow with Malaysians. In one of his speeches, he said he wanted to come up with something that Malaysians should embrace and grow with. This is to create a sense of ownership. The eight tenets of 1Malaysia are culture of excellence, perseverance, humility, acceptance, loyalty, meritocracy, education and integrity.
Malaysia to me simply means people born in Malaysia are all one at the macro level. The PM added that we need to maintain the uniqueness of our identity and that there is power in plurality which provides Malaysia the competitive advantage among other nations in the world.
My favourite tenets among the eight are humility and acceptance. There is nothing wrong with the school system, the teachers, the curriculum and the activities which foster unity organised by the Government.
The community goes on harping that unity and integration should be promoted in the school and that the system has failed to deliver. However, they fail to realise that all the work done in school is undone by the parents or family members in a split second as the children return to their environment at home.
Parents are very influential in moulding the minds of the young. We cannot deny that we are a contributing factor to the lack of acceptance and unity in our country.
The point I would like to make with reference to humility and acceptance is that some people are arrogant as opposed to humility and they have not embraced or accepted “others”; it is mere tolerance as our PM clearly put it in his blog.
Allow me to use a car as an example. For the car to move, the parts of the engine must be assembled correctly, the fluids must be at the right levels and the wheels must be there. If one of those elements is not available, the car will not move.
Our PM constantly reiterates that all Malaysians must complement each other yet remain as ourselves. We do not need to give anything up. This is the mindset we need to inculcate in all Malaysians, not just the younger generation. Parents must play an important role in supporting the school system in trying to produce people who do not belittle others due to differences.
There needs to be a major shift in thought and the environment.
The PM, in clarifying 1Malaysia at Parliament, said the ultimate objective of 1Malaysia is unity, that every citizen is cared for and that no citizen is marginalised in any way.
The PM, government and schools can do all they want to promote unity but first, parents must change and they should not poison the minds of young Malaysians. The success of unity in Malaysia relies partly on the role of parents, not just the school and government awareness programmes on unity.
As parents, we must educate our children positively for the benefit of our beloved country. If we do not do this, the repercussions in time will be serious and the damage will be done. There will be no turning back.
V MANO,
Kajang.
The PM has taken much effort to persuade the citizens of Malaysia to embrace the concept and most conventions and conferences organised by the Government have focused in creating awareness of 1Malaysia to all.
Malaysia has eight tenets which our PM has encouraged us to explore. He wants 1Malaysia to grow with Malaysians. In one of his speeches, he said he wanted to come up with something that Malaysians should embrace and grow with. This is to create a sense of ownership. The eight tenets of 1Malaysia are culture of excellence, perseverance, humility, acceptance, loyalty, meritocracy, education and integrity.
Malaysia to me simply means people born in Malaysia are all one at the macro level. The PM added that we need to maintain the uniqueness of our identity and that there is power in plurality which provides Malaysia the competitive advantage among other nations in the world.
My favourite tenets among the eight are humility and acceptance. There is nothing wrong with the school system, the teachers, the curriculum and the activities which foster unity organised by the Government.
The community goes on harping that unity and integration should be promoted in the school and that the system has failed to deliver. However, they fail to realise that all the work done in school is undone by the parents or family members in a split second as the children return to their environment at home.
Parents are very influential in moulding the minds of the young. We cannot deny that we are a contributing factor to the lack of acceptance and unity in our country.
The point I would like to make with reference to humility and acceptance is that some people are arrogant as opposed to humility and they have not embraced or accepted “others”; it is mere tolerance as our PM clearly put it in his blog.
Allow me to use a car as an example. For the car to move, the parts of the engine must be assembled correctly, the fluids must be at the right levels and the wheels must be there. If one of those elements is not available, the car will not move.
Our PM constantly reiterates that all Malaysians must complement each other yet remain as ourselves. We do not need to give anything up. This is the mindset we need to inculcate in all Malaysians, not just the younger generation. Parents must play an important role in supporting the school system in trying to produce people who do not belittle others due to differences.
There needs to be a major shift in thought and the environment.
The PM, in clarifying 1Malaysia at Parliament, said the ultimate objective of 1Malaysia is unity, that every citizen is cared for and that no citizen is marginalised in any way.
The PM, government and schools can do all they want to promote unity but first, parents must change and they should not poison the minds of young Malaysians. The success of unity in Malaysia relies partly on the role of parents, not just the school and government awareness programmes on unity.
As parents, we must educate our children positively for the benefit of our beloved country. If we do not do this, the repercussions in time will be serious and the damage will be done. There will be no turning back.
V MANO,
Kajang.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Let experts have say on English
MAKING English a “must pass” subject at SPM level will not resolve the issue of whether to continue using English to teach Science and Maths.
Any pure scientist and mathematician will agree that learning Science and Maths in English is far different from learning the English language. Science and Maths in English, compared to English Communication and Business English, requires a completely different set of learning skills.
A person who speaks fluent English may not necessarily understand scientific and mathematical terms. Science and Maths are extremely technical. Take catalytic oxidative dehydrogenation of light alkanes for example. Do we really have the capacity to translate these terms?
The decision on the teaching of Science and Maths in English or otherwise should be based on the opinions of scientists, mathematicians or experts and professionals who are directly involved in these fields.They should include engineers, architects, doctors, dentists, pilots, geologists, astronauts, accountants, chemists, bankers, biologists, etc. while the decision on English can be made by language experts or even politicians. Neither should be at the expense of each other.
Incidentally, it is simpler to teach Science and Maths in English than it is to teach the English language.
The degree of knowledge absorbed through science, technology and mathematics determines a country’s survival in a globalised and competitive world. New discoveries are made every day and while we are still struggling with translations, more new discoveries are made yet again, leaving us even further behind.
For this reason, it is vital that our young are exposed to these technical terms as early as possible. And for this reason too that whatever the decision, it must prepare our children for jobs in the future and beyond, jobs that are non-existent now.
We implore our scientific and mathematical-related professionals to provide a solution to the teaching of Science and Maths in English in order for the Government to be able to decide what is best for the future of our young, our country and the success of 1Malaysia.
DATIN NOOR AZIMAH ABDUL RAHIM,
Chair, Parent Action Group for Education (PAGE),
Damansara Heights.
Any pure scientist and mathematician will agree that learning Science and Maths in English is far different from learning the English language. Science and Maths in English, compared to English Communication and Business English, requires a completely different set of learning skills.
A person who speaks fluent English may not necessarily understand scientific and mathematical terms. Science and Maths are extremely technical. Take catalytic oxidative dehydrogenation of light alkanes for example. Do we really have the capacity to translate these terms?
The decision on the teaching of Science and Maths in English or otherwise should be based on the opinions of scientists, mathematicians or experts and professionals who are directly involved in these fields.They should include engineers, architects, doctors, dentists, pilots, geologists, astronauts, accountants, chemists, bankers, biologists, etc. while the decision on English can be made by language experts or even politicians. Neither should be at the expense of each other.
Incidentally, it is simpler to teach Science and Maths in English than it is to teach the English language.
The degree of knowledge absorbed through science, technology and mathematics determines a country’s survival in a globalised and competitive world. New discoveries are made every day and while we are still struggling with translations, more new discoveries are made yet again, leaving us even further behind.
For this reason, it is vital that our young are exposed to these technical terms as early as possible. And for this reason too that whatever the decision, it must prepare our children for jobs in the future and beyond, jobs that are non-existent now.
We implore our scientific and mathematical-related professionals to provide a solution to the teaching of Science and Maths in English in order for the Government to be able to decide what is best for the future of our young, our country and the success of 1Malaysia.
DATIN NOOR AZIMAH ABDUL RAHIM,
Chair, Parent Action Group for Education (PAGE),
Damansara Heights.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Should English be made compulsory?
Should a pass in English be made compulsory to pass SPM?
KUALA LUMPUR: Should a pass in the English language be made compulsory for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) Certificate?
Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin threw this question to the public to discuss, and for the government to obtain feedback.
He said he was informed that many rural students would fail the SPM if English was made a compulsory subject to pass.
"Then, I do not think it (not making English a compulsory subject to pass) serves any purpose because English is a very important language that we use in daily life," he said when officiating the setting up of the new Kirby College Alumni Association here .
To improve the quality of English language proficiency among students, qualified teachers must be involved in teaching English, he said.
"Maybe, it is a good idea to revisit the Kirby College concept, sending teachers to learn English in an English-speaking environment," Muhyiddin said.
Meanwhile, Muhyiddin paid a glowing tribute to Kirby College-trained teachers in the 1950s and 1960s, as they brought changes to the education system despite the country not being fully developed and the schools lacking the necessary facilities.
He said, Kirby College was multiracial and multi-religious, likening it to a 'miniature Malaysia' where, at the time, the '1Malaya' and 'Malaya Boleh' concepts were imbibed by society.
Kirby-trained teachers became a yardstick of excellence in the profession and this was proven when four eminent teachers (tokoh guru) between 1988 and 1998 were from the college.
They were Harith Laiki, Idris Tain, Lau Hut Yee and Dr Yahya Ibrahim.
Earlier, Muhyiddin launched a book, 'Kirby College-A Heritage' written by Dr Shaari Isa and opened the Kirby College Exhibition organised by the Education Muzium of the Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris.
The Kirby College was operated between 1952 and 1956 in Kirby, Liverpool. It trained 1,500 Malaysian teachers and 405 teacher-trainers. - Bernama
KUALA LUMPUR: Should a pass in the English language be made compulsory for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) Certificate?
Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin threw this question to the public to discuss, and for the government to obtain feedback.
He said he was informed that many rural students would fail the SPM if English was made a compulsory subject to pass.
"Then, I do not think it (not making English a compulsory subject to pass) serves any purpose because English is a very important language that we use in daily life," he said when officiating the setting up of the new Kirby College Alumni Association here .
To improve the quality of English language proficiency among students, qualified teachers must be involved in teaching English, he said.
"Maybe, it is a good idea to revisit the Kirby College concept, sending teachers to learn English in an English-speaking environment," Muhyiddin said.
Meanwhile, Muhyiddin paid a glowing tribute to Kirby College-trained teachers in the 1950s and 1960s, as they brought changes to the education system despite the country not being fully developed and the schools lacking the necessary facilities.
He said, Kirby College was multiracial and multi-religious, likening it to a 'miniature Malaysia' where, at the time, the '1Malaya' and 'Malaya Boleh' concepts were imbibed by society.
Kirby-trained teachers became a yardstick of excellence in the profession and this was proven when four eminent teachers (tokoh guru) between 1988 and 1998 were from the college.
They were Harith Laiki, Idris Tain, Lau Hut Yee and Dr Yahya Ibrahim.
Earlier, Muhyiddin launched a book, 'Kirby College-A Heritage' written by Dr Shaari Isa and opened the Kirby College Exhibition organised by the Education Muzium of the Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris.
The Kirby College was operated between 1952 and 1956 in Kirby, Liverpool. It trained 1,500 Malaysian teachers and 405 teacher-trainers. - Bernama
How to get back on track with grammar
FINALLY, we have an Education Minister who is thinking along the same lines as most supporters of English language in this country. Make English a subject that has to be passed and you will see that every student and parent will sit up and pay more attention to this subject.
Teachers of English would also be more responsible when they know that a child’s future is in their hands.
On the issue of grammar not being taught in schools, I would like to differ here with our minister. Grammar can be taught via Communicative English but the unfortunate thing is, the teachers entrusted to teach Communicative English have completely ignored the teaching of English Grammar because they are themselves weak in it.
To make matter worse, they do not use grammatically correct sentence structures when they teach and therefore, the children pick up sentences with grammatical mistakes and use them as if it is the normal way to express themselves.
How often I hear working people who have a good command of English when it comes to subject matter making simple grammatical errors like: “He don’t want to go!” or “You has to go.” This is shocking!
If our minister wants grammar to be taught separately, I think it would be a backward step in the teaching of the language. Most modern approach to the teaching of English has grammar incorporated into the various elements of reading, listening, speaking and writing.
To help teachers and students get back on track, maybe the textbooks could incorporate a section devoted to basic grammar for each lesson, thereby covering all aspects of grammar within the first six years of primary English lessons.
Most textbooks do have this but the stress should be on primary schools rather than secondary schools. At secondary schools, more difficult aspects of grammar should be taught, with all the exceptions that are so commonly found in English. Please do not go back to the days when I had to learn things like adverbial clauses, conditionals, subordinate clauses, etc.
Such aspects are for those who want to specialise in teaching English and for undergr aduates who want to master English completely to be competent teachers of the English, not for students taking English as a second language.
I am sure officials in the Ministry of Education can identify the basic areas that all primary school children should know in English grammar and ensure that all primary teachers are familiar with them and that all primary English textbooks highlight them throughout the primary years!
VICTOR CHEW, Ipoh.
Teachers of English would also be more responsible when they know that a child’s future is in their hands.
On the issue of grammar not being taught in schools, I would like to differ here with our minister. Grammar can be taught via Communicative English but the unfortunate thing is, the teachers entrusted to teach Communicative English have completely ignored the teaching of English Grammar because they are themselves weak in it.
To make matter worse, they do not use grammatically correct sentence structures when they teach and therefore, the children pick up sentences with grammatical mistakes and use them as if it is the normal way to express themselves.
How often I hear working people who have a good command of English when it comes to subject matter making simple grammatical errors like: “He don’t want to go!” or “You has to go.” This is shocking!
If our minister wants grammar to be taught separately, I think it would be a backward step in the teaching of the language. Most modern approach to the teaching of English has grammar incorporated into the various elements of reading, listening, speaking and writing.
To help teachers and students get back on track, maybe the textbooks could incorporate a section devoted to basic grammar for each lesson, thereby covering all aspects of grammar within the first six years of primary English lessons.
Most textbooks do have this but the stress should be on primary schools rather than secondary schools. At secondary schools, more difficult aspects of grammar should be taught, with all the exceptions that are so commonly found in English. Please do not go back to the days when I had to learn things like adverbial clauses, conditionals, subordinate clauses, etc.
Such aspects are for those who want to specialise in teaching English and for undergr aduates who want to master English completely to be competent teachers of the English, not for students taking English as a second language.
I am sure officials in the Ministry of Education can identify the basic areas that all primary school children should know in English grammar and ensure that all primary teachers are familiar with them and that all primary English textbooks highlight them throughout the primary years!
VICTOR CHEW, Ipoh.
Poor English will affect tourism
JOHOR BARU: Malaysia’s tourism industry will suffer if English proficiency among tour guides is not improved.
Malaysian Tourist Guides Council president Jimmy Leong said that people from traditionally non-English speaking countries were moving ahead of Malaysia.
In fact, guides from China, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan are speaking better and grammatically-correct English compared with us, he said in an interview.
"From a tourism perspective, English should be made a compulsory pass subject in the SPM," he said.
He added that the Education Ministry should revise its syllabus and teach grammar.
He also said that native English speakers could be engaged to complement the local teachers in teaching the subject, as Malaysia may not have enough teachers qualified to teach the subject.
"This is because there has been a lapse of two to three generations since our children were taught completely in English in schools," Leong explained.
"When we source for potential guides we realise that the standard of English among the candidates has dropped tremendously over the years," he said.
He added that the industry players were now forced to accept those with a lower level of proficiency.
"This is also a huge setback for the services sector in Malaysia as we may not have people who are proficient in English to handle projects involving multinational companies."
Leong said that besides tourist guides, people working in hotels and theme parks should also be able to speak good English.
Malaysian Tourist Guides Council president Jimmy Leong said that people from traditionally non-English speaking countries were moving ahead of Malaysia.
In fact, guides from China, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan are speaking better and grammatically-correct English compared with us, he said in an interview.
"From a tourism perspective, English should be made a compulsory pass subject in the SPM," he said.
He added that the Education Ministry should revise its syllabus and teach grammar.
He also said that native English speakers could be engaged to complement the local teachers in teaching the subject, as Malaysia may not have enough teachers qualified to teach the subject.
"This is because there has been a lapse of two to three generations since our children were taught completely in English in schools," Leong explained.
"When we source for potential guides we realise that the standard of English among the candidates has dropped tremendously over the years," he said.
He added that the industry players were now forced to accept those with a lower level of proficiency.
"This is also a huge setback for the services sector in Malaysia as we may not have people who are proficient in English to handle projects involving multinational companies."
Leong said that besides tourist guides, people working in hotels and theme parks should also be able to speak good English.
Umno Youth all for English as a must-pass subject in SPM
KUALA LUMPUR: Umno Youth supports the idea of making English a must-pass subject for the SPM, its chief Khairy Jamaluddin said.
However, he said the movement’s backing was on condition that the Government implemented several measures first.
He said retired teachers who were proficient in teaching English should be recruited, adding that language teachers from Britain, Australia and New Zealand should also be engaged to help in the effort.
Khairy also urged the Education Ministry to increase the time allotted for teaching English in schools, and wanted students to pass the Malaysian University English Test before they could enter local universities.
“Our recommendations will give the authorities more urgency in the issue of improving the teaching of English in schools,” he told reporters after chairing the movement’s meeting here yesterday.
Khairy said Umno Youth did not want a repeat of the confusion and disagreement from various quarters following the government’s earlier move to introduce the teaching of Science and Mathematics in English at primary level.
On another matter, he said he would hold a dialogue session with eight Universiti Malaya Chinese students associations next week to expand knowledge on the 1Malaysia concept. He said
MCA Youth chief Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong would also hold similar sessions with Malay NGOs such as 4B Youth and Malay student groups.
On PAS’ call for Sisters in Islam (SIS) to be banned, Khairy said the party was contradicting its own so-called democratic principles.
In Muar, Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman said the state government supported the call for English to be made a compulsory pass subject for the SPM.
He said although the state had protested against the teaching of Science and Mathematics in English, the subject was important for Malaysians to master.
“We support the plan but students should first be given proper lessons.”
However, he said the movement’s backing was on condition that the Government implemented several measures first.
He said retired teachers who were proficient in teaching English should be recruited, adding that language teachers from Britain, Australia and New Zealand should also be engaged to help in the effort.
Khairy also urged the Education Ministry to increase the time allotted for teaching English in schools, and wanted students to pass the Malaysian University English Test before they could enter local universities.
“Our recommendations will give the authorities more urgency in the issue of improving the teaching of English in schools,” he told reporters after chairing the movement’s meeting here yesterday.
Khairy said Umno Youth did not want a repeat of the confusion and disagreement from various quarters following the government’s earlier move to introduce the teaching of Science and Mathematics in English at primary level.
On another matter, he said he would hold a dialogue session with eight Universiti Malaya Chinese students associations next week to expand knowledge on the 1Malaysia concept. He said
MCA Youth chief Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong would also hold similar sessions with Malay NGOs such as 4B Youth and Malay student groups.
On PAS’ call for Sisters in Islam (SIS) to be banned, Khairy said the party was contradicting its own so-called democratic principles.
In Muar, Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman said the state government supported the call for English to be made a compulsory pass subject for the SPM.
He said although the state had protested against the teaching of Science and Mathematics in English, the subject was important for Malaysians to master.
“We support the plan but students should first be given proper lessons.”
Let’s just stick to English
Question TimeBy P. GUNASEGARAM
Whether Science and Maths should be taught in English should be decided solely by considering the welfare of the students and the country.
Our people should know how to read, write and speak the national language but, at the same time, to gain knowledge, they should learn and use English – Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
In 2003, before he stepped down as Prime Minister in 2004, Dr Mahathir made a major policy change in terms of education.
It was considered drastic at that time and made over the opposition of both Malay and vernacular language advocates.
He basically decreed that Science and Mathematics should be taught in English simply because that was the fastest way for Malaysians to access the rapidly changing developments in those fields.
It was a major change of position for Dr Mahathir himself, who as education minister in the mid-70s and subsequently prime minister from 1981 pushed through major reforms which saw the education system being transformed from English-based to Malay-based.
The parallel development was the evolution of vernacular education systems in Chinese, mainly, and in Tamil as well as Islamic religious schools, leading basically to four separate educational systems in the country.
But the edict by Dr Mahathir was a bold one and cut across all the educational systems to make it compulsory to teach Science and Maths in English in all of them.
Six years later, a generation of students have passed through the system and the vast majority of them have preferred to answer questions in English even though they were given options to answer in other languages.
Now, six years later, one wonders why there is even a need to re-think this process – the students have spoken by opting to answer in English, and there have been noticeable improvements in the quality of English. The infrastructure has been built. Why destroy all that now?
Have we not already suffered enough through a widespread decline of English among our students to the extent that many of our graduates from local universities are unemployable because of the poor quality of their English?
Now there is a proposal to make a pass in English compulsory before a candidate gets the Sjil Pelajaran Malaysia (Malaysian certificate of education) or SPM certificate. The ministry has invited public comments on this.
The proposal only adds confusion to the issue. Let’s settle the outstanding issue of whether Science and Maths should be taught in English, and then we can talk about another.
It’s vitally important to keep the two separate and not link them together in an attempt to come to some sort of compromise solution.
A pass in English should only be made compulsory after there is a huge effort to improve the quality of English taught in schools. Otherwise it would needlessly penalise.
It helps to state the underlying problem with respect to English: the quality of English has deteriorated so much that students can’t speak, read or write English and therefore are also unable to plug into the avenues which increase knowledge and competence in all areas.
Dr Mahathir’s solution was simple, elegant and practical – teach science and maths in English. That improves usage of the language, gives students the key necessary terms, and the tools to plug into the unfolding developments in the area.
The language purists, being purists and in many cases language extremists, insist that English can only be taught by teaching English such as grammar and literature and that subjects must be taught in the mother tongue.
But they pointedly ignore the practical aspect: language must be used if competence is to be gained.
Teaching Science and Maths in English ensures that English is used and not just learned, which will be the case if you increase the time for teaching English. That is a crucial difference.
None of this will be at the expense of the national language, Malay, or even Chinese or Tamil. All the other subjects are being taught in these languages, and students will gain more than sufficient proficiency in them.
Vitally, with the change already in place for six years, the students have also had an avenue to improve their English skills. It will be cruel to take that away from future generations. Give them the local languages but give them English, too.
There must come a time when we make decisions based on what is best for our children and our country – nothing and no one else matters more.
Our children will benefit immensely from a good command of English, while a good command of English will help the country connect to the world and access all the knowledge and attendant benefits.
To clinch the argument, let’s quote Dr Mahathir again. This is what he said at an international conference on English last year in Kuala Lumpur: “Our people should know how to read, write and speak the national language, but at the same time, to gain knowledge, they should learn and use English.”
Narrow, parochial considerations of language lobbyists and extremists have no place. A pragmatic decision must be made. Not only must Science and Maths continue to be taught in English, more measures must be devised to improve English usage and capability.
A pass grade in English to get an SPM qualification may be a bit premature in the absence of concrete measures to improve English quality.
Certainly such a measure should not be used to barter away the teaching of Science and Maths in English.
Managing editor P. Gunasegaram is very wary of lobbyists because they are only interested in their own agendas to the exclusion of everything else.
Whether Science and Maths should be taught in English should be decided solely by considering the welfare of the students and the country.
Our people should know how to read, write and speak the national language but, at the same time, to gain knowledge, they should learn and use English – Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
In 2003, before he stepped down as Prime Minister in 2004, Dr Mahathir made a major policy change in terms of education.
It was considered drastic at that time and made over the opposition of both Malay and vernacular language advocates.
He basically decreed that Science and Mathematics should be taught in English simply because that was the fastest way for Malaysians to access the rapidly changing developments in those fields.
It was a major change of position for Dr Mahathir himself, who as education minister in the mid-70s and subsequently prime minister from 1981 pushed through major reforms which saw the education system being transformed from English-based to Malay-based.
The parallel development was the evolution of vernacular education systems in Chinese, mainly, and in Tamil as well as Islamic religious schools, leading basically to four separate educational systems in the country.
But the edict by Dr Mahathir was a bold one and cut across all the educational systems to make it compulsory to teach Science and Maths in English in all of them.
Six years later, a generation of students have passed through the system and the vast majority of them have preferred to answer questions in English even though they were given options to answer in other languages.
Now, six years later, one wonders why there is even a need to re-think this process – the students have spoken by opting to answer in English, and there have been noticeable improvements in the quality of English. The infrastructure has been built. Why destroy all that now?
Have we not already suffered enough through a widespread decline of English among our students to the extent that many of our graduates from local universities are unemployable because of the poor quality of their English?
Now there is a proposal to make a pass in English compulsory before a candidate gets the Sjil Pelajaran Malaysia (Malaysian certificate of education) or SPM certificate. The ministry has invited public comments on this.
The proposal only adds confusion to the issue. Let’s settle the outstanding issue of whether Science and Maths should be taught in English, and then we can talk about another.
It’s vitally important to keep the two separate and not link them together in an attempt to come to some sort of compromise solution.
A pass in English should only be made compulsory after there is a huge effort to improve the quality of English taught in schools. Otherwise it would needlessly penalise.
It helps to state the underlying problem with respect to English: the quality of English has deteriorated so much that students can’t speak, read or write English and therefore are also unable to plug into the avenues which increase knowledge and competence in all areas.
Dr Mahathir’s solution was simple, elegant and practical – teach science and maths in English. That improves usage of the language, gives students the key necessary terms, and the tools to plug into the unfolding developments in the area.
The language purists, being purists and in many cases language extremists, insist that English can only be taught by teaching English such as grammar and literature and that subjects must be taught in the mother tongue.
But they pointedly ignore the practical aspect: language must be used if competence is to be gained.
Teaching Science and Maths in English ensures that English is used and not just learned, which will be the case if you increase the time for teaching English. That is a crucial difference.
None of this will be at the expense of the national language, Malay, or even Chinese or Tamil. All the other subjects are being taught in these languages, and students will gain more than sufficient proficiency in them.
Vitally, with the change already in place for six years, the students have also had an avenue to improve their English skills. It will be cruel to take that away from future generations. Give them the local languages but give them English, too.
There must come a time when we make decisions based on what is best for our children and our country – nothing and no one else matters more.
Our children will benefit immensely from a good command of English, while a good command of English will help the country connect to the world and access all the knowledge and attendant benefits.
To clinch the argument, let’s quote Dr Mahathir again. This is what he said at an international conference on English last year in Kuala Lumpur: “Our people should know how to read, write and speak the national language, but at the same time, to gain knowledge, they should learn and use English.”
Narrow, parochial considerations of language lobbyists and extremists have no place. A pragmatic decision must be made. Not only must Science and Maths continue to be taught in English, more measures must be devised to improve English usage and capability.
A pass grade in English to get an SPM qualification may be a bit premature in the absence of concrete measures to improve English quality.
Certainly such a measure should not be used to barter away the teaching of Science and Maths in English.
Managing editor P. Gunasegaram is very wary of lobbyists because they are only interested in their own agendas to the exclusion of everything else.
Quick decision needed on English
Plain Speaking - A weekly column by Yap Leng Kuen
No place for ego in promoting English
TO know some of the horror stories on the deteriorating standard of English, ask any human resource manager who has to pour over application letters.
One should always look beyond the cover letters which may contain well-crafted lines but come to the impromptu essays, that’s when the true picture emerges.
Not all jobs require mastery of the English language. For technical jobs, it is more of the skills, basic knowledge of technical terms and the ability to communicate.
However, in the modern world of international business, a fluent command of English is important not just from the aspect of style but also substance. A wide vocabulary and high standard of linguistic skills can carry a person far in his career which of course, does not rely solely on the gift of the gab.
But it enables him to articulate and communicate his thoughts to another person in as vocal and as resourceful a manner that is required. Together with his deep technical knowledge, a person’s ability in this respect will help a long way in ensuring his employability.
Businessmen in emerging countries and economic powerhouses like China are taking up English lessons in a big way, reflecting the high priority they place on the language that has gone beyond the status of just mother tongue to native British speakers.
They realise there is no place for egoistic or backward thinking in promoting the vibrant use of English in everyday commerce.
For many of us who were educated solely in English, listening to the current debate on whether it should be made compulsory in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination seems rather odd. There was even an observation from someone who had lived abroad for a number of years that it is like asking if a person needed lungs to respire.
Equally strange was the idea to send teachers abroad to assimilate the language in a native-speaking country. That just means throwing away more money when the whole rigmarole of English learning can be fixed back home.
Suddenly, grammar is being singled out. The learning of a language comes in a package of skills and even if we include grammar, we still have to evaluate if that package is of sufficiently high standard to put us ahead of our competitors.
Many have wondered how some countries like Japan can be so economically advanced while sticking to the usage of their mother tongue. Perhaps it has to do with decades of intensive development or as observed by some, many Japanese actually know English well but prefer to use their mother tongue.
In many instances, it is also seen as a tactical move to confine speech and writing to a language that is not well-understood by many. But it does not mean that this group of people does not understand what the rest of the world is saying in the common language!
In our case, it may be a good idea to obtain feedback on the status of English as a core subject but frankly, that could be a waste of time. Instead, a quick decision should be made on the urgency of restoring the English language to its eminent place in the education system and allow our students maximum exposure to it via as many subjects as possible.
We should set the standards as we move forward to further transform our services sector and build linkages with the international community.
Those who cannot meet the standards should be given the tools to strive higher via intensive training programmes, which should enlist the support of professionals, retirees and even non-governmental organisations with expertise in the teaching of English.
Senior business people and ministers are all aware that problems with writing and speaking in English are not just experienced in Malaysia. There are overseas students studying in countries like Britain who have similar problems but that does not mean we can follow them and let our guard down.
No place for ego in promoting English
TO know some of the horror stories on the deteriorating standard of English, ask any human resource manager who has to pour over application letters.
One should always look beyond the cover letters which may contain well-crafted lines but come to the impromptu essays, that’s when the true picture emerges.
Not all jobs require mastery of the English language. For technical jobs, it is more of the skills, basic knowledge of technical terms and the ability to communicate.
However, in the modern world of international business, a fluent command of English is important not just from the aspect of style but also substance. A wide vocabulary and high standard of linguistic skills can carry a person far in his career which of course, does not rely solely on the gift of the gab.
But it enables him to articulate and communicate his thoughts to another person in as vocal and as resourceful a manner that is required. Together with his deep technical knowledge, a person’s ability in this respect will help a long way in ensuring his employability.
Businessmen in emerging countries and economic powerhouses like China are taking up English lessons in a big way, reflecting the high priority they place on the language that has gone beyond the status of just mother tongue to native British speakers.
They realise there is no place for egoistic or backward thinking in promoting the vibrant use of English in everyday commerce.
For many of us who were educated solely in English, listening to the current debate on whether it should be made compulsory in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination seems rather odd. There was even an observation from someone who had lived abroad for a number of years that it is like asking if a person needed lungs to respire.
Equally strange was the idea to send teachers abroad to assimilate the language in a native-speaking country. That just means throwing away more money when the whole rigmarole of English learning can be fixed back home.
Suddenly, grammar is being singled out. The learning of a language comes in a package of skills and even if we include grammar, we still have to evaluate if that package is of sufficiently high standard to put us ahead of our competitors.
Many have wondered how some countries like Japan can be so economically advanced while sticking to the usage of their mother tongue. Perhaps it has to do with decades of intensive development or as observed by some, many Japanese actually know English well but prefer to use their mother tongue.
In many instances, it is also seen as a tactical move to confine speech and writing to a language that is not well-understood by many. But it does not mean that this group of people does not understand what the rest of the world is saying in the common language!
In our case, it may be a good idea to obtain feedback on the status of English as a core subject but frankly, that could be a waste of time. Instead, a quick decision should be made on the urgency of restoring the English language to its eminent place in the education system and allow our students maximum exposure to it via as many subjects as possible.
We should set the standards as we move forward to further transform our services sector and build linkages with the international community.
Those who cannot meet the standards should be given the tools to strive higher via intensive training programmes, which should enlist the support of professionals, retirees and even non-governmental organisations with expertise in the teaching of English.
Senior business people and ministers are all aware that problems with writing and speaking in English are not just experienced in Malaysia. There are overseas students studying in countries like Britain who have similar problems but that does not mean we can follow them and let our guard down.
English can help breach ‘international barrier’
AFTER reading the articles available online from www.thestar.com.my about making English compulsory in SPM exam, it struck me that this issue needs to be addressed with rational thinking as it could affect the future of Malaysian youths significantly.
I am a Malaysian and have lived abroad for many years due to my father’s work overseas. Currently, I am enrolled in a Masters in Pharmacy programme in the School of Pharmacy, University of London.
In my experience from studying and living abroad, I found the level of English in universities in Britain is high. So by objecting to make English as a “must pass” subject will definitely cause problems to our youths.
I completed the IB programme in a British international school in Thailand which has provided me a good foundation in the English language, However I find many of my cousins and friends in Malaysia have minimum level of English and I find it strange since English is taught from Year
One in primary schools until SPM level.
By making English a ‘must pass’ subject, it will definitely help those who wish to further their studies in the universities since courses are taught in English.
We Malaysians need to breach international “barrier” in whichever way possible in order to help develop our country, and English is the core link that will help us achieve this.
We need to be an international player to attract investments or help develop our tourism industry. Furthermore, local universities will gain more by having exposure internationally. Thus, by making English a “must pass” subject in SPM, it is the first step which will help shape our future.
I am a Malaysian and have lived abroad for many years due to my father’s work overseas. Currently, I am enrolled in a Masters in Pharmacy programme in the School of Pharmacy, University of London.
In my experience from studying and living abroad, I found the level of English in universities in Britain is high. So by objecting to make English as a “must pass” subject will definitely cause problems to our youths.
I completed the IB programme in a British international school in Thailand which has provided me a good foundation in the English language, However I find many of my cousins and friends in Malaysia have minimum level of English and I find it strange since English is taught from Year
One in primary schools until SPM level.
By making English a ‘must pass’ subject, it will definitely help those who wish to further their studies in the universities since courses are taught in English.
We Malaysians need to breach international “barrier” in whichever way possible in order to help develop our country, and English is the core link that will help us achieve this.
We need to be an international player to attract investments or help develop our tourism industry. Furthermore, local universities will gain more by having exposure internationally. Thus, by making English a “must pass” subject in SPM, it is the first step which will help shape our future.
Even China banking on English
EVEN a big self-sufficient country like China is encouraging its people to learn the English language to advance themselves in this competitive world and what are we compare with them?
We should go for English unless we have decided to go backwards instead of forward, and all government efforts of attracting FDI will go to waste if this was the case.
We do not need to be specialised or to speak like the white men, but at least a proficiency in the Englsih language should be a must.
Customer service officers become redundant if they can speak Bahasa Malaysia only. I have dealt with many such cases. It is well and fine if they are just dealing with our own people who are mostly multi-lingual. But what with a foreign enquiry?
No wonder we are losing out to others like India for FDI.
For the sake of our future generations and the coutnry’s progress, discard our “katak dalam tempurong” mentality and embrace what is now a universal language that is English in our education system.
We should go for English unless we have decided to go backwards instead of forward, and all government efforts of attracting FDI will go to waste if this was the case.
We do not need to be specialised or to speak like the white men, but at least a proficiency in the Englsih language should be a must.
Customer service officers become redundant if they can speak Bahasa Malaysia only. I have dealt with many such cases. It is well and fine if they are just dealing with our own people who are mostly multi-lingual. But what with a foreign enquiry?
No wonder we are losing out to others like India for FDI.
For the sake of our future generations and the coutnry’s progress, discard our “katak dalam tempurong” mentality and embrace what is now a universal language that is English in our education system.
Why English is very important
I AM a third-year medical student studying in Universiti Malaya. As we read and hear about the endless debate over the issue of the English language and our education system, I would like to offer my perspective as a student on this issue.
I come from an SJK primary school, attended a government secondary school and completed the local matriculation course before entering university.
I realise that those who want less English in the education system are afraid that the Malay language will suffer. However, as a student, our official language, the status or importance of Bahasa Malaysia, has never been threatened.
It will always be our national language and I am proud of that, but it is not sufficient to only learn Bahasa Malaysia and neglect the other languages. And English is becoming a necessity if a country wants to ride the wave of globalisation.
Taking a walk down memory lane, we have Za’aba (Tan Sri Dr Haji Zainal Abidin Ahmad) who was known as the “peneroka tatabahasa Melayu” or the founder of Malay grammar. The Malay literature that he wrote is being used till this very day. His museum (Teratak Za’aba) in Bahau is a memorial of his contribution to this nation.
As we look at his education background, we discover that he was the first Malay from Negri Sembilan to have completed his Senior Cambridge. The museum contains beautiful letters between him and his children, written in English, Malay and Arabic.
Tunku Abdul Rahman, in his fight for Independence would not have made it had he not mastered the English language. Ambassadors and diplomats to foreign countries have to be able to speak English in order to communicate with people from other nations. The tourism industry in Malaysia would collapse without the English language.
Do we consider Za’aba or Tunku less of a Malaysian, less patriotic, or less united?
They were among the many reasons that Malaysia exists today. I daresay that the English language was one of the key tools to our Independence and our development right till today. To neglect the English language will only push us backward.
We must realise that Malaysia is a multi-cultural country with than over a hundred ethnicities and is therefore a multi-lingual country. Trying to unite races with one language alone is like trying to fit a round peg into a square hole. It will never work.
Entering first-year in university, we were shocked to see students mixing according to their ethnicity and the main dividing factor being our language of communication. Only a small group of students who spoke more than one language fluently was made up of students of different races. We all know the importance of inter-cultural understanding in unity; but how are we going to achieve that by only learning one language?
I say all this not to bring down the Malay language but to remind us that it is our duty as a responsible Malaysian citizen to improve ourselves in every way we can - including learning the other languages. To make English compulsory to pass SPM; to teach Science and Mathematics in English - is a step in the right direction.
TIMOTHY CHENG,
Director of the Unity and Community Affairs Bureau,
Student Representative Council 2008/2009,
Universiti Malaya.
I come from an SJK primary school, attended a government secondary school and completed the local matriculation course before entering university.
I realise that those who want less English in the education system are afraid that the Malay language will suffer. However, as a student, our official language, the status or importance of Bahasa Malaysia, has never been threatened.
It will always be our national language and I am proud of that, but it is not sufficient to only learn Bahasa Malaysia and neglect the other languages. And English is becoming a necessity if a country wants to ride the wave of globalisation.
Taking a walk down memory lane, we have Za’aba (Tan Sri Dr Haji Zainal Abidin Ahmad) who was known as the “peneroka tatabahasa Melayu” or the founder of Malay grammar. The Malay literature that he wrote is being used till this very day. His museum (Teratak Za’aba) in Bahau is a memorial of his contribution to this nation.
As we look at his education background, we discover that he was the first Malay from Negri Sembilan to have completed his Senior Cambridge. The museum contains beautiful letters between him and his children, written in English, Malay and Arabic.
Tunku Abdul Rahman, in his fight for Independence would not have made it had he not mastered the English language. Ambassadors and diplomats to foreign countries have to be able to speak English in order to communicate with people from other nations. The tourism industry in Malaysia would collapse without the English language.
Do we consider Za’aba or Tunku less of a Malaysian, less patriotic, or less united?
They were among the many reasons that Malaysia exists today. I daresay that the English language was one of the key tools to our Independence and our development right till today. To neglect the English language will only push us backward.
We must realise that Malaysia is a multi-cultural country with than over a hundred ethnicities and is therefore a multi-lingual country. Trying to unite races with one language alone is like trying to fit a round peg into a square hole. It will never work.
Entering first-year in university, we were shocked to see students mixing according to their ethnicity and the main dividing factor being our language of communication. Only a small group of students who spoke more than one language fluently was made up of students of different races. We all know the importance of inter-cultural understanding in unity; but how are we going to achieve that by only learning one language?
I say all this not to bring down the Malay language but to remind us that it is our duty as a responsible Malaysian citizen to improve ourselves in every way we can - including learning the other languages. To make English compulsory to pass SPM; to teach Science and Mathematics in English - is a step in the right direction.
TIMOTHY CHENG,
Director of the Unity and Community Affairs Bureau,
Student Representative Council 2008/2009,
Universiti Malaya.
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