Change Malay Mother Tongue to Foreign Language

[Parkingidiot]

Minister in charge of Muslim Affairs and Environment and Water Resources, Mr Yaacob Ibrahim was reported by the Straits Times on 20 April, as having said:

 

[Parkingidiot]

The student also asked if the tide of foreign talent might eventually replace local workers. Madam Moliah said a change in perception was needed:

[WTF]

So will we be singing the National Anthem in English???

 

Or else others might ask us why sing in a foreign language years later....

[Joseph22]

What is this person saying?? Malay should be taught to everyone of us as National Language. i felt sad that because i am a chinese, if i want to study malay, i have to go and look for a school outside to learn the language.

[Mightymito]

Twenty years ago the older non malays could speak malay. Now If between malay and chinese even with the ah soh and ah pek , they will speak english to each other. Go mamak stall and speak malay , sometimes the mamak goes eh?? They only understand satu dua, bawang and telor and not much else.

 

It is a foreign language, just like hokkien , teochew and cantonese.

 

 

[Scion]

pls dun do that...

 

the last time they tried to eliminate the Chinese dialects, it also destroyed a bulk of history and traditions... though it was deemed as successful

[Piyopico]

Ng Eng Hen wanted to tweak the chinese mother tongue last year too but had to backtrack and the PM came in to clarify.

 

 

 

[Kiario]

So will we be singing the National Anthem in English???

 

Or else others might ask us why sing in a foreign language years later....

 

actually, i never know what the words in our national anthem meant, except mahulah singapura=onward singapore.

[Mightymito]

onward = majulah

 

mahu = want.

 

You dont know a single word of malay

[Shull]

onward = majulah

 

mahu = want.

 

You dont know a single word of malay

 

The biggest joke was.. back in secondary school, some people sing "Rakyat" as "Mayat"...

 

"Rakyat" = Citizen, People

"Mayat" = dead body

[laugh]

 

[Darryn]

Well my daughter does study chinese as a "second language"

 

But I think to be fair to him, is he truely suggesting that should teach Malay as a "foreign" language, meaning it is like Frenc or Italian, or could he be suggesting that the methodology of teaching a foreign language should be applied to teacing Malay.

 

There is a subtle but important difference in the two.

 

If you suggest teaching Malay with the recognition that it is not often heard, and students don't get the chance to practise at home or in the community, then using the same methods to teach Malay as you would French may well render better results.

 

If however, he is really suggesting that it only ranks as a "foreign language" then he needs to be farked upside down.

 

On a related note - given that Malay IS the national language, should EVERY student in the school system be expected to learn the language? Maybe not to the stage of fluency, but perhaps 2-3 hours per week up until (for example) sec 2?

[Joseph22]

Well my daughter does study chinese as a "second language"

 

But I think to be fair to him, is he truely suggesting that should teach Malay as a "foreign" language, meaning it is like Frenc or Italian, or could he be suggesting that the methodology of teaching a foreign language should be applied to teacing Malay.

 

There is a subtle but important difference in the two.

 

If you suggest teaching Malay with the recognition that it is not often heard, and students don't get the chance to practise at home or in the community, then using the same methods to teach Malay as you would French may well render better results.

 

If however, he is really suggesting that it only ranks as a "foreign language" then he needs to be farked upside down.

 

On a related note - given that Malay IS the national language, should EVERY student in the school system be expected to learn the language? Maybe not to the stage of fluency, but perhaps 2-3 hours per week up until (for example) sec 2?

actually dont know why he want to do that. Malays are scoring very well in that language, what for he want to cripple their advantage??

 

its unlike chinese, which is not exactly easy to remember all the character.

i support every student to learn Malay, at least untill end of P6

 

[Deathism]

Speaking as a supposed malay, ideally, i'd want to learn both malay language and mandarin from primary school with mandarin being a non-tested subject.

 

dunno if im making sense..lol.

[Deathism]

actually dont know why he want to do that. Malays are scoring very well in that language, what for he want to cripple their advantage??

 

its unlike chinese, which is not exactly easy to remember all the character.

i support every student to learn Malay, at least untill end of P6

 

basic malay is so easy anyway, esp the pronunciation. On top of that, you write in alphabets..lol.

 

oh try reading and writing in arabic.

[Parkingidiot]

Speaking as a supposed malay, ideally, i'd want to learn both malay language and mandarin from primary school with mandarin being a non-tested subject.

 

dunno if im making sense..lol.

 

I totally get what you mean bro.

 

We want to learn for the sake of gaining knowledge and being proficient - not because we want to score As and distinctions. Unfortunately our system is not designed for that. It's all grades, grades, grades.. otherwise you fail, fail, fail.

[Joseph22]

basic malay is so easy anyway, esp the pronunciation. On top of that, you write in alphabets..lol.

 

oh try reading and writing in arabic.

 

i only interested in speaking

in Arabic, forget it. even malay find it hard. what more me

[Shull]

basic malay is so easy anyway, esp the pronunciation. On top of that, you write in alphabets..lol.

 

oh try reading and writing in arabic.

 

I am a chinese by race.. But i read and speak both chinese and malay fluently.. And i agree, basic malay is easier to learn than chinese..

[Mockngbrd]

whats the diff of teaching it as a foreign language instead of mother tongue?