theSun | MONDAY JULY 13 2009 9

news without borders

Group wants more

English classes
Press Digest
by Kong See Hoh
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
JIAO ZONG (United Chinese School
Teachers Association) president Ong
Kow Yee says the number of English
language periods, and not Bahasa Ma-
laysia, should be increased in Chinese
primary schools to achieve the aim of
raising the standard of English among
pupils.
He suggested increasing the
number of English periods to seven
(210 minutes) a week from the cur-
rent two (60 minutes) following the
government’s decision to scrap the
use of English to teach science and
mathematics from 2012.
Ong told Nanyang Siang Pau on
Saturday that the government had al-
ready increased the number of Bahasa
Malaysia periods from seven to nine a
week when it introduced the teaching
of science and maths in English in
2003 and there is no reason for further
increase when schools revert to the
teaching of science and maths in the
pupils’ own language (PPSMI).
“In Chinese primary schools, Eng-
lish is taught for only 60 minutes (a
week), which is not enough even for
the teaching of oral English skills. If
the government does not increase the
number of periods for English, how
are we going to raise the standard of
the language among pupils?”
Ong was commenting on the
government’s proposal to increase
Bahasa Malaysia periods from nine
(270 minutes) a week currently to 12
(360 minutes) when the timetable is
revised in 2011.
Jiao Zong does not agree with the
proposal for further increase in the
number of Bahasa Malaysia periods in
Chinese schools, he said, adding that
“nine periods a week is enough”.
On the other hand, he said, the two
periods taken from Chinese language
when English was introduced to
teach science and maths six years ago
should be reinstated.
“We are not against the learning
of Bahasa Malaysia but the Education
Ministry should not forget that SJKCs
are after all Chinese schools. Don’t
expect them to have (almost) the same
number Bahasa Malaysia periods as
the Chinese language.”
When the teaching of science and
maths in English was implemented
in 2003, the number of Chinese lan-
In Chinese primary schools, English
is taught for only 60 minutes (a
week), which is not enough even for
the teaching of oral English skills. If
the government does not increase the
number of periods for English, how are
we going to raise the standard of the
language among pupils?”
– Ong Kow Yee
guage periods in Chinese schools was
reduced from 15 to 13 a week.
Meanwhile, the Youth section of
Hua Zong (Federation of Chinese
Associations in Malaysia) welcomed
the government’s decision to revert
to PPSMI in primary schools but felt
the teaching of science and maths
in English should be maintained in
secondary schools to better prepare
students for tertiary education where
science-based and maths disciplines
are taught in English.

Women petition against China maids

SOME 20 Chinese women from Jalan Tengah in
Klang unfurled a banner on Saturday morning
to say “no” to any move to bring in domestic
helpers from China, Oriental Daily News re-
ported yesterday.
They also launched a signature campaign in
response to Wanita MCA’s call to reject Chinese
maids.
Among those who responded to the
signature campaign was Ngan Hui Ling who
personally witnessed how a woman from
China destroyed the 30-year-old marriage of
her parents.
She said she severed her relationship with
her father after he “chased” her mother out of
the house over the Chinese woman.
“Many Chinese women are here ostensibly
as peddlers of Chinese tea leaves but are actu-
ally out to entice the menfolk. Some of them
are seen flirting openly with their customers.”
She said Chinese women are here for quick
bucks, using the so-called work as a front. As
such, Chinese maids are not to be trusted, she
said.
Others who joined the signature campaign
spoke of the negative reports about the illegal
activities of Chinese women in Malaysia.
The group later presented a memorandum
on its decision on Chinese maids to the wom-
en’s wing of the Kapar MCA division.
Meanwhile, the women’s wing collected
more than 350 signatures, mostly from women,
on Saturday morning.
Apart from the Jalan Tengah group, women-
folk from Kapar and Bandar Baru Klang also lent
their support to the signature campaign.

MTUC calls for a V. David road

PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Trades
Union Congress (MTUC) yesterday called
on the Selangor state government to name a
road after veteran trade unionist, the late Dr V.
David, in appreciation of his life-long struggle
to fight for workers’ rights.
Its vice-president A. Balasubramaniam
said there was already a precedent when
Road 222 in Petaling Jaya was named after
Dr P.P. Narayanan, another noteworthy trade
unionist.
He said David deserved the honour be-
cause he served the workers for nearly 40
years from 1958 until he fell sick in 1995. He
died in July 2005.
David was best known for setting up the
Workers Institute of Technology (WIT) in
Port Klang in the early 70s, which provided
education opportunities for thousands of
workers’ children over the years.
“We suggest that one of the roads around
the WIT be named in his honour,” he said.
David, who was known as “King David”
among local and international trade union
circles, served as MTUC secretary-general
from 1976 to 1992. He was also the Transport
Workers Union secretary-general from 1958
to 1995.
At the international level, he served as the
executive board member of the International
Transport Federation and the International
Confederation of Free Trade Union and had
represented Malaysian workers at numer-
ous International Labour Organisation (ILO)
conferences in Geneva.
Cuepacs secretary-general Ahmad Shah
Mohd Zin supported the proposal, saying
union leaders should also be recognised “for
their struggles and sacrifices in improving
the lives of helpless workers.” – Bernama