As I flipped over piles of articles which I’ve been collected over the years, I wish to share the below article (written by P. Gunasegaram) to all on the importance of English.

>>Foreign affairs officers now are not capable of playing a role internationally because they lack the command of English<< TUN DR MAHATHIR MOHAMAD

“It’s easier for us to use English and gain access immediately to all the literature and all the scientific findings in English. So that is why we (re-)introduced English.” - then Prime Minister Datuk Seri (now Tun) Dr Mahathir Mohamad in 2003, in an interview two weeks before he stepped down, justifying the re-introduction of English for teaching Science and Maths from that year.

When the nation now goes back to re-examining this issue once again, it becomes all the more important that reason prevails, instead of the conflicting demands of various interest groups in the country.

For more informed opinion one should go back to the origins of the most recent decision to teach Science and Maths in English for all.

As part of the national education policy, Science and Maths subjects were taught in Malay following changes introduced from the 70s. Then prime minister Datuk Seri (now Tun) Dr Mahathir Mohamad changed the policy, against political opposition even from within his party, and re-introduced English for teaching Science and Maths from Year One and from Form One from 2003.

In an interview just before he stepped down, Dr Mahathir explained the reasons for re-introducing English; and it is worth repeating them here because they are simply the best rationale given so far:

” .. We find that in order to learn science and mathematics in Malay we have to have good text books, and we must be updated all the time. Science is not a static thing. .. So who is going to provide the text, who is going to translate all these new findings into Malay.”

” .. It is just not possible because to translate requires three qualifications - you must be fluent in English, you must be fluent in Malay and you must be an expert in the subject - and there are not many people who can do that.”

” .. It’s easier for us to use English and gain access immediately to all the literature and all the scientific findings in English. So that is why we introduced English.”

” .. And as far as fluency in English is concerned, our worry is that our foreign affairs officers now are not capable of playing a role internationally because tey lack the command of English. They went through the Malay education system.”

” .. Although we asked them to learn English, they neglect English. The Chinese and Indians, they learn three languages - Chinese or Indian, Malay and English - and they speak English much more fluently than the Malays, for Malay children believe that this is Malaysia and why should we learn other languages, which of course deprived them of the asset that will be working in their favour.”

” .. This must change and I think parents accept now that they have to acquire English. And in modern times, everybody should have a command of at least two languages, their own mother tongue and another language.”

That should suffice as a good explanation for those who oppose the teaching of Science and Maths in English not just for national schools but for vernacular schools as well, because exactly the same logic applies.

Instead, the whole issue has been thrown wide open again, and we find ourselves in the silly situation of reviewing a decision taken almost six years ago and now reversing it. And that, after all the effort to train teachers and to get students used to English.

It looks like seven options are being considered. According to a news report in The Star earlier, these are:

> Stick to teaching Mathematics and Science in English;

> Revert to Bahasa Malaysia;

> Let primary schools decide for themselves;

> Mathematics and Science be taught in Bahasa Malaysia and the mother tongue for Years One to Three, and in English form Year Four onwards:

> A combination of mother tongue in the first three years and a choice of mother tongue or English after that; and,

> The two subjects will not be taught in Years One to Three but integrated into other subjects instead.

It is sad though that one more option is not being considered - if the original decision to use English is amended in any way, to allow those students who want to take the Science subject in English to do so.

That way, students and their parents will decide in which language their students are going to be taught instead of letting the Government make the decision. All the Government has to do is to require all schools to provide the infrastructure for teaching the Science in English, which is already in place anyway.

After all, students have the choice of going to a Malay (national), Chinese or Tamil school. What’s wrong with allowing them to go to an English school if they so choose?