Is the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister on talking terms???? One says Bahasa Malaysia is supreme while the other says we should diversify and learn Mandarin no less!!! Both are sending confusing signals to the general public with their statements. I might add that these are the top two leaders of our country???? sheesh!!!! Are they not talking to each other??? Shouldn't their statements as the top two people in Malaysia be at least along the same lines or school of thought??? The Prime Minister is advocating that we should learn Mandarin to better understand the diversity of our own country, crowing about Malaysia having the most Chinese Independent Schools outside China. While on the other hand we have our Deputy Prime Minister who also happens to be the Education Minister saying that Bahasa Malaysia is supreme!!!!
Lets first talk about the standard of English. The level or standard of English in Malaysia has dropped dramatically, I know this for a fact as I used to monitor junior officers in the navy attending their diploma courses at UTM Skudai, Believe it or not 95% of them couldn't even string a complete sentence in proper English!!! These are the officers who are now in middle management in the Royal Malaysian Navy. Papers which they were required to write were more like gibberish. I used to stay up late helping as many of them as I could with their reports, papers and course work. Most of them have obtained their respective diplomas but I just wonder how they attained their diplomas with such poor standard of English!!! Some may say that I'm only an SPM holder so who am I to comment or even worse condemn diploma holders. Well to each is own and this is just my opinion.
Bahasa Malaysia is indeed important as it reflects our country. We are after all called Malaysians. Having a good command of Bahasa Malaysia is also very important more so now with the current turn of events (ie. an affidavit being thrown out for being in English in one of Anwar Ibrahim's many court cases). Fair play Bahasa Malaysia must and should be given attention in schools but not at the expense of forsaking English or Mandarin or even Tamil for that matter. I am one of those who fully support the teaching of Mathematics and Science in English (pretty obvious now). Maths and Science being taught in is so much easier to understand as the terminologies are precise and to the point. Having the ability to speak,read and write both in Bahasa Malaysia and English is a great advantage. Just ask anyone of many Malaysians working or earning a living overseas (like myself). Some Englishmen even admit that I am able to speak better and proper English compared to themselves. I for one have benefitted both professionally and financially being able to speak and write good English. Why are we denying this to our very own children??? They are the future of this country are they not??? Would we want them to resent us for denying them the ability to speak and write good English, Mandarin or even Tamil just because political pressure, political popularity and political relevance is more important???
In as far as Mandarin is concerned, even the Prime Minister has admitted that his own son is learning Mandarin. His son is learning Mandarin in Georgetown University no less, Georgetown is one of the most prestigious Universities in the United States located in Washington DC. Realizing the the emergence of China as a global economic force it only makes sense for us in Malaysia to consider Mandarin or Tamil/Hindi as a third language. India is not far behind compared to China so is it not prudent to have a second if not a third language as well??? Why oh why aren't our leaders thinking of the future??
One just hopes that the Prime Minister in saying or advocating that Mandarin is important is not just mere talk. Saying it just because he was in the presence of a chinese audience (at the Chong Hwa 95th Anniversary Dinner last night). To both leaders of the country (PM and DPM) do talk to each other and come to an understanding and implement something worthwhile for once. For the sake of our children and for the sake of the future of Malaysia
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