Malaysia should adopt Singapore's education policy

[Jman888]

no wonder the slightly better of families in KL send their kids to private colleges.

Make English a medium of instruction in schools: Sultan of Johor

The Star/ANNFriday, Jun 12, 2015

Make English a medium of instruction in schools: Sultan of Johor

Straight talk: Sultan Ibrahim speaking to The Star Media Group managing director and chief executive officer Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai and The Star Johor bureau chief Nelson Benjamin at Istana Bukit Serene.

JOHOR BARU - Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar is known to be an outspoken advocate of English-medium education.

Meeting with scholarship recipients recently, he asked them point blank whether their English fluency was good enough for them to deserve the awards.

He is also fond of equating the English language to the US dollar, saying "it's accepted everywhere and used everywhere, even in countries where the people don't speak English well."

Q: Tuanku, in your address at the opening of the Johor State Legislative Assembly recently, you suggested that Malaysia should adopt Singapore's education policy that uses English as a medium of instruction, especially to forge unity. Could you elaborate?

A: Singapore is our closest neighbour. We don't have to go very far; we should emulate them as the island republic has achieved development way ahead of us.

Let's be honest with ourselves. Singapore has done well as a country. Their students have fared very well in Mathematics and Science. The prominent use of English has set them ahead of us.

We shouldn't kid ourselves. We have politicians in Malaysia who are in self-denial or choose to play politics with education. They want to be heroes of their races. They talk about nationalism but at the end, do they send their children to boarding schools in Australia and the United Kingdom to learn in Malay medium?

I also know of so-called Chinese educationists who champion Chinese education, even insisting non-Mandarin speaking teachers should not be allowed to teach in Chinese primary schools. These are the extremists. I know one such leader had tertiary education in Western countries. We have many such hypocrites.

One thing that we can learn from Singapore is their way of forging national unity via their education system. The use of English as a medium of instruction has been effective in the development of the country and uniting their people regardless of race or religion.

English schools are neutral grounds. We used to have such schools in Malaysia until it was changed. Was there any problem then?

The proficiency of English is bad among children, and our children do not mix among themselves. The Malays go to national schools where the Chinese feel alienated, while the Indians go to Tamil schools. Where is the unity?

Then some people also want Chinese and Indian universities. All this is driving the races apart. Yet we say we are all 1Malaysia. Unfortunately, I see all this as 5Malaysian.

The richer Malaysians send their children to private and international schools where English is the medium of instruction. So, who says there are no English-medium schools? But they are only available to the middle and upper-middle class from urban areas.

So, soon we will also have a class issue. This is all due to the myopic planning and thinking of our politicians.

For me, education is the foundation to create the country's future generation.

As such, I hope Johoreans will start to open up their minds. I have sent the signals across and I hope they start thinking now with regard to the country's education system and are willing to change for the benefit of the people and long-term development.

I am confident if we have an education system based on a single stream for students from a young age, we will be able to create a community which is more harmonious and can work together to face challenges in the future.

Anyway, we can also teach Bahasa Malaysia in schools as it is the country's national language. You can still have English as the medium of instruction but BM and Chinese or Tamil are compulsory.

Don't forget, when English was used as a medium of instruction in schools in the 1950s and 1960s, a pass in BM was compulsory. Even a pass in Mathematics was compulsory to pass the Form 3 exam but now you don't even have to pass your Maths test!

 

 

 

[Lala81]

Is this the start of a more out spoken royalty? Not really sure unless u live in Malaysia or read their newspapers.

[The_Bear]

And will the police start to go "fifty dollars, sire."?

[Acemundo]

why not the sultan initiate Johor to break away from putrajaya and join Singapore?

[Soya]

And will the police start to go "fifty dollars, sire."?

 

 

Wahaha.......if their polis can speak the queen's english, 'convenience fee' go up from RM50 to GBP50 liao.

[Wt_know]

come on ... the statement come from johor sultan ... you-know-who friend-friend ... lol

 

central govt definitely not so likey lor ...

Edited June 12, 2015 by Wt_know

[Hamburger]

just leave all as it is....for the good of all.

[Mockngbrd]

Will NEVER happen. Their politicians are too proud.

[Camrysfa]

he donated RM 1 mil ( abt SGD 360K) for Sabah quake victims.

maverick.

 

http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2015/06/11/Johor-Ruler-donates-RM1mil-for-Sabah-quake-victims/

[Soya]

just leave all as it is....for the good of all.

Yalor. Polis cakap melayu RM50 enuf liao. No need learn angmoh $$.

[Mustank]

Yalor. Polis cakap melayu RM50 enuf liao. No need learn angmoh $$.

I read already laugh and laugh

[Nlatio]

 

 

Wahaha.......if their polis can speak the queen's english, 'convenience fee' go up from RM50 to GBP50 liao.

Dear Sir, would it be convenient to transfer a good sum of $100 from your good self.. Have a jolly good say Sir..... kekeke Edited June 12, 2015 by Nlatio

[Sosaria]

That's why the sultan said that policy makers are hypocrites because they deny the use of english in malaysian schools but send their own kids for private education or overseas in English medium.

 

Sounds a bit like our 'all schools are good schools' but their kids still go to brand name schools and overseas univ. Ask ppl to deepen skills but their own kids never set foot in poly or ite.

 

Same same lah politicians on both sides...

[Kopites]

 

 

Wahaha.......if their polis can speak the queen's english, 'convenience fee' go up from RM50 to GBP50 liao.

GBP? Should 50 Euro dollar. Haha

[Datsun366]

I am going to be scolded for my poor ability in the English language, again.

I do think the Msia govt is correct in BM.

What works for Singapore cannot be used for Msia.

There is cultural identity in the language of the social group.

I believe it is very evident if you have friends from say France or Denmark.

They are schooled in their native language as well as the English language. Although English is more for the upwardly mobile ( the monied or upwardly aspiring) the mother tongue is still the language of school, exams and tax returns.

Do not equate a society maintaining its own cultural identity versus a hybrid society.

I do know Msia teachers, not bumiputra, they do indicate the pluses of the Malay culture.

Cheers.

[Hydrocarbon]

Yalor. Polis cakap melayu RM50 enuf liao. No need learn angmoh $$.

 

Good that some of the Polis cannot speak English. Managed to smoke my way out of a few "convenience fees".

Overall, it will be good for Malaysia to change to English as a working language, but the longer they wait, the better it is for us here. And such a change takes a generation to see effect too. Hope they take their time with deciding. Or better yet, stay the same. Doesn't hurt us much.

[Soya]

GBP? Should 50 Euro dollar. Haha

 

 

GBP 50 = SGD 105

 

Eur 50 = SGD 75

 

So we hope their 'helpful' polis learn to speak spanish, greek or italiano instead and not english.

[Wishcumstrue]

Is this the start of a more out spoken royalty? Not really sure unless u live in Malaysia or read their newspapers.

 

This is reported widely in Malaysia and language is always a hot subject after race and religion on that country.

 

As expected, Dr M responded very quickly to this. Listen to his view:

 

Edited June 13, 2015 by Wishcumstrue