Friday, July 10, 2009

Malaysia future going backwards

The recent announcement by our Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister, Muhiddin that Science and Mathematics will revert back to native languages from English will set Malaysia back to the Dark Ages. The reason is purely political. To win more votes from the rural folks and the urban Chinese speaking Chinese. Noted that I did not say Urban Malays. I think most would like to see to maintain as an English taught subject.

Their reason given is very shallow like all decisions of the Government. There is negligible improvement when the subjects are taught in English. What happens when after another 6 years after the implementation and there is no improvement. Revert back to English? This ping pong policy of our Government destroy all confidence in most of us on the future of our children.
What the government should have done is to have English language schools or fully sponsored tuition classes to teach English in the rural areas. Get good English teachers from England. There are so many of them willing to work in Malaysia. I should know. I bump into so many of them in Phuket alone. They go there for 2 to 4 years, teach in private schools and enjoy their time diving. We can easily attract them to work in the rural areas of Pahang, Trengganu and Kelantan.

I am just an average Joe in Malaysia and cannot afford to send my children to fancy International schools but have to put them in National schools like most average Malaysians. I speak my Hokkien dialect fairly well but English better as I was educated in Christian Missionary school, La Salle. My children can hardly speak any Hokkien but that does not bother me. What is important is that they learn the languages that will offer them a better success in their future ie English and Mandarin.

I will vote out the silly people who wants to maintain or go backwards on their decision. I will even vote against Anwar Ibrahim. So what he has fought hard against the present Government? Adhoc policies to gain votes is not acceptable. In Malaysia, 70% of the votes from rural constituencies determined the composition of the seats of the government, so pleasing rural folks is more important to stay in power than pleasing the urbanites who fund the government in terms of income taxes.

No comments: