The issue of Teaching Science and Mathematics in English (PPSMI) should have been resolved. The preparation in implementing the teaching programme “Upholding the Malay Language and Strengthening the Command of English (MBMMBI)” is going on in earnest. Before the MBMMBI approach was taken, various discussions were held involving many interest groups.
Minister of Education, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also Deputy Prime Minister, has exercised wisdom based on the aspiration of Clause 152 of the Federal Constitution and the Education Act 1996, by devising a “win-win” formula so that the Malay language be strengthened and the command of English be further enhanced.
It is strange that there are some Malays who suggested the set up of two school streams – one for English and the other for the Malay language, so that parents can have a choice which school stream they prefer. This suggestion is out of sync with the national aspiration which makes the Malay language as a uniting factor.
It will only create a huge gap in the social strata if this is to happen. There will be a great distinction of the elites as what happened in the 1970s.
There are those who even want to bring the issue to the United Nations as if the leadership of the country and those who fight in the interest of the Malay language do not have the educational capacity and wisdom to make a decision that they have to resort to outsider for help.
There are those who are of the opinion that reference materials in science and mathematics are mostly in English and translation will take a long time. But Malaysia should emulate China, South Korea and Japan in this aspect, and not to give in so easily.
More importantly as stated by Sapir 1949 and Whorf 1956, in what language do we want our children to see and think about the world and its surrounding? Language is not just about the medium of knowledge and thinking skill. It carries with it value and culture, resilience, giving meaning to a person’s character and also shape their world views that will guide them to face life.
Muhyiddin has recently stated that MBMMBI will be continued and this statement is very much welcome. The pressure that he faced has never ceased. But his resolve in strengthening the Malay language and enhance the command of English is morally correct.
The implementation of the PPSMI before was not done with appropriate preparation. There were English teachers who taught the language but substantial number of teachers who taught Science and Mathematics having poor command of English were asked to teach the subjects.
From the pedagogy point of view, it is wrong. At last, the mastering of knowledge among students are metaphorically like a person dress in mini-skirt – when pulled up it exposed the knee and when it is pulled down, it exposed the navel.
By engaging foreign teachers whose mother-tongue is English, the Ministry of Education is making a viable and effective move in enhancing the level of fluency among students in the language. The ministry is also making commendable move to train skilful students as English teachers, restructuring the English curriculum to be in line with the Malaysian ethos, setting up language laboratories as a way to speed up the mastering of English, reviewing the pedagogical approach making it more dynamic.
Why not let this strategy take shape and evaluated it after some years of its implementation. It is more fair and democratic. Having a referendum is also unnecessary. The MBMMBI strategy is also in line with the spirit of National Constitution and doesn’t contravene the Education Act 1996.
According to sources which I quote from Prof. Dr. Ahmad Termizi, a physic scholar from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, the change of medium in schools from English to the Malay language had made it closer to the objective of creating fair opportunities.
The achievement of the bumiputera students in general is more balance with the achievement of non-bumiputera students compare with 30 years ago when the medium of education was in English.
For the first time in history, the number of bumiputera students attaining excellent grades and credit in Physic surpassed the number of non-bumiputera students in the SPM 2001 – bumiputera 23,157 and non-bumiputera 22,929 students.
Now the number is the same with non-bumiputera . In term of quantity, the number is comparable with non-bumiputera although in term of quality, much more effort should be done.
The relative stability that give fair opportunity among the bumiputera students should not be disturbed with some mechanism which has the element of high risk and whose effectiveness is yet to be proven.
There is a basis for the concern that the sole use of English in teaching Science and Mathematics may affect the achievement of bumiputera students, based on the poor mastering of English which is prevalent among them.
We need political will and resolve to strengthen the Malay language so that it can place itself as the language of knowledge and international language. If globalisation factor be taken into account to justify the use of English, then one day if China rises to become a superpower, we shall divert to use the Chinese language and abandon English.
Learning the Chinese language is not wrong but refusing to strengthen the Malay language in the context of Malaysia is a wrong move. Medieval Muslim scholars mastered various languages of civilisation but the use of Arabic language continued to be given priority.
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