12
speak up!
Scene: Restoran Al Da’fah, PJ.
MOHAN: So it’s muktamad?
Azman: What is muktamad?
Mohan: The reversal of the
policy of English for the teaching
of mathematics and science, or
ETeMS, or PPSMI, the abbreviation
of the policy in Bahasa Malaysia.
Azman: But why shouldn’t it be
final?
Mohan: You see after the re-
versal was announced by Deputy
Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyid-
din Yassin, who is also education
minister, on July 8 some people
thought the government could
still reverse the reversal before it
is implemented in 2012. And that’s
why the government had to come
out to say that the decision is final,
muktamad.
Azman: I never thought the
policy would be reversed. After six
years one should think it is a done
thing, fait accompli. And from the
way then Education Minister Datuk
Seri Hishammuddin Hussein was
talking about it throughout last
year, I thought the policy would
stay.
Mohan: That’s right. Many
people thought so, too. And because
of that the language nationalists
– those who feel that PPSMI under-
mines the sovereignty of Bahasa
Malaysia which they strongly feel
is a functional language as well
– went all out early this year to
have it reversed. Some of our
national literary luminaries were
in parliament campaigning for a
reversal. Among them were also
some academicians. Yes, Cikgu?
letters
letters@thesundaily.com
Open up English medium schools
THE recent announcement on the
reversal of the education policy by
the government had taken many Ma-
laysians by surprise. One doesn’t have
to be a rocket scientist to understand
the reasons behind the government’s
decision. Of course it cannot be de-
nied that there are parents who like
their children to go to a Malay medium
or Chinese medium or Tamil medium
schools, but there are also many par-
ents who want their children to go to
English medium schools for reasons
they and most of the world know.
Wiser to steer a steady course
Zain: About those
academicians. They
said ETeMS is against
the National Education
Policy, which stipulates
all subjects in national
schools to be taught in
Bahasa Malaysia. They
also said that the acqui-
sition of new knowledge
is best done through the
mother tongue. And they WhatTheySay
said that PPSMI favours
by Zainon Ahmad
those children in the
urban areas where the
environment to acquire English is
better than in the rural areas. And
so the rural children – the Malays,
the Kadazans, the Ibans and the
Orang Ulu – would be at a disad-
vantage while those in the urban
areas would not have much of a
problem.
Chong: Ah, you forget. Our
Chinese educationists also cam-
paigned. They see that the wider
usage of languages other than
Chinese in Chinese schools as
threatening their identity and cul-
ture. From the very beginning they
insisted that making it compulsory
for English to be the medium for
teaching mathematics and science
is one sure way of reducing the use
of Chinese in Chinese schools. They
said that it was the real motive be-
It is the right of such parents
to expect such an education from
the government, as they are also
taxpayers just like all the others who
are clamouring for the national, Tamil
and Chinese schools. The government
cannot deny them such an opportu-
nity and force them to receive an
education which they consider will
not develop their children’s full mental
capabilities.
If forced to do so most such par-
ents will have no alternative but to
send their children overseas even at
hind the government’s
move to introduce
PPSMI. Having success-
fully opposed a single
education system, they
are suspicious of any-
thing that may lead to
the implementation of
a common system via
the backdoor.
Mohan: So they
object to PPSMI not
because their children
cannot cope but more
because they don’t want
to lose their Chineseness. Is that it?
Chong: Yes. Former PM Tun
Dr Mahathir Mohamad once said
that the Chinese have no problems
studying anything as their language
has been a functional one for a long
time. Because Bahasa Malaysia is
the national language they have
mastered it. And now that English
is a global language, they quickly
gained proficiency in it too. And
because of that the Chinese will
always be ahead.
Azman: What about you?
Chong: Me? No worries, man.
Those things like culture don’t
bother me. I know I am Chinese.
Nothing can change that. I recently
visited a distant relative in Cuba, a
shopkeeper whose ancestors had
been these since the 1880s. He and
a young age, thus destroying their family
life. Even now most are forced to send
their children overseas but when they
are older.
A proper assessment of what medium
of instruction to be adopted by schools
should have been done among parents
of schoolchildren. Unfortunately the edu-
cation minster depended on feedback
from various “interest groups”.
The minister came to a decision
after several meetings with such groups
but nowhere is it mentioned that he
had done a survey of the population to
find out what the majority preferred or
that he had consulted highly educated
groups such as the Malaysia Harvard
community, etc.
The country has been experimenting
with our education system for about
30 years, all of which based mainly on
political considerations, but not on what
A taste of Old Trafford near home
AS an ardent supporter of Manchester
United, I would wake up early in the
morning to watch their matches. It didn’t
matter if I only got an hour’s sleep before
travelling to work.
So when it was announced that the
Red Devils would be in Malaysia, I was
ecstatic. I realised this was as close as I
would ever get to the team and bought
my ticket on the first day of sales.
On July 19, I was part of a huge throng
of Man Utd faithfuls who made our way
to the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil. The
Don’t neglect physical education
MORE and more schoolchildren are
becoming obese. It appears that more
emphasis is being placed on academic
development of the child rather than
physical development.
Some schools have been built with-
out proper fields for outdoor games and
physical activities.
The incidence of obesity appears to
his family members, who are all
Catholics, speak Spanish mostly
and very little Chinese. Their names
have long been Latinised. Yet they
are Chinese and proudly declare
so. They celebrate Chinese New
Year without fail every year. But
with the Internet they are slowly
getting connected to other Chinese
in different parts of the world. By
the way, my two children are in an
international school.
Azman: Why not. You can
afford it.
Chong: Because I know Eng-
lish is important. All of us –you
Azman and Mohan – know the
importance of English. We were in
school when the switch to Bahasa
Malaysia took place. At that time
there were still a lot of good English
language teachers, Malays as well
as non-Malays. So we benefited.
But gradually as these teachers
retired the new teachers, product of
the Bahasa Malaysia medium, were
mostly Malays. Today about 90%
of the teachers in national schools
are Malays. I think this is one rea-
son why the standard of English
deteriorated so badly.
Mohan: So it’s the teachers.
Azman: It’s always the teach-
ers.
Chong: Poor English teachers.
Zain: Exactly. If they are the
the majority preferred.
Look at neighbouring countries which
became independent much later than us
and see how they have advanced.
Since the announcement of the new
education policy, many blogs have been
conducting surveys to find out the views
of the public. All these blogs show that
most of the population are against such
a policy reversal mainly because the
government did not consider the wishes
of the average parent whose interest
in his child’s future is not only of para-
mount importance to him but also to the
government because if such children’s
brain power is not used fully the country’s
human capital, as well as the country’s
economy stands to suffer.
Why are our politicians still unable to
see the advantages of an English medium
of instruction in our schools?
The government could convert
certain schools in areas where many
parents want schools which use the
English medium (with Bahasa Malaysia
as a compulsory subject) to develop in
parallel with schools using other medi-
ums of instruction.
Over time we will be able to see
which schools are most in demand
venue was teeming with fans and the
atmosphere was electrifying.
It was surreal to see the players in the
flesh. When they came out to the pitch,
to thunderous applause and deafening
cheers, I had to pinch myself to make
sure I wasn’t dreaming. Here was Rooney
(my favourite), Ferdinand, Giggs, Scholes,
Van der Sar and the rest of the team.
This time, instead of cheering from
my living room, I was presented with
a rare opportunity to join other fans in
doing the Mexican wave and in chanting
be less among children from well-to-do
families compared to children from less
well-to-do families. This no doubt largely
due to well-to-do parents being able to
take their children during the weekends
to gyms and swimming pools for work-
outs in the clubs in which the parents
are members.
Schools without playing fields could
theSun | TUESDAY JULY 21 2009
ones who are being blamed for the
failure of the PPSMI in the rural ar-
eas, how can they – now that PPSMI
is to be abandoned – improve the
English proficiency of their pupils
even if the hours are extended.
Azman: And you can’t deny that
there are poor science and maths
teachers too. They too should be
blamed for the failure of PPSMI in
the rural schools. Imagine asking
them to teach the two subjects
in English when they weren’t so
good at teaching them in Bahasa
Malaysia.
Chong: Your stand Cikgu?
Zain: The policy should con-
tinue. Of course it was abruptly
announced in mid-2002 and imple-
mented in haste in 2003. But billions
of ringgit have already been spent.
Teachers undergo a lot of training
periodically and those in the rural
areas get all kinds of remedial help.
They cannot complain of the hard-
work they have to put in as they
are being paid extra. With constant
monitoring, their capabilities have
been improving. So why stop? I
think it is reversed not because it
cannot be done but more because
of other considerations.
Azman: An Umno politician
told me it is a popular decision. He
said it explains why the BN nearly
won in Manek Urai.
and give such schools the freedom to
develop as they see fit and not constrain
them in any way.
The final decision should be left
to the parent-teacher associations of
these schools and not the civil servants,
whose decisions are guided mostly by
the politicians.
This will then show to the world
that the government does not play to
the tune of the “interest groups” for
votes and that it is truly democratic in
meeting the aspirations of all Malaysians
especially the parents of schoolchildren,
who have the interest of not only their
families but also their communities
and the future prosperity of the whole
country at heart.
This is the humble opinion of a
retired politician with two degrees who
had succeeded in life mainly because of
the English language and who does not
want his children and grandchildren to
leave this wonderful country which we
so dearly love, only to settle and earn
their livelihood elsewhere without their
parents and relatives.
Datuk S.S. Subramaniam
Petaling Jaya
the names of the players. To be at the
venue to watch the match from the first
minute to the final whistle, to go crazy
with the crowd in rapturous applause
when Rooney, Nani and Owen scored
was simply thrilling.
To the organisers and the manage-
ment and players of Manchester United
– thank you for giving Malaysian fans a
taste of Old Trafford.
Sheila Palmer
Sepang
convert a suitable room into a gym for
use by the students to stem the growing
trend towards obesity and prevent the
early onset of a host of related diseases
such as diabetes, hypertension and heart
disease.
M.G. Deva
Kuala Lumpur