SHAH ALAM: The debate on which language to prioritise in Malaysian schools has been very long and caused much confusion for students.
Parent Action Group for Education (PAGE) president Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim said it is important for students to master both languages.
She added some subjects must be taught in English, such as Mathematics and Science, while the Bahasa Malaysia used in schools must be the official Bahasa Malaysia and not local dialect or slangs.
“It is important to master English as it is the language used by many overseas ... but we must remember Indonesia will be the next powerhouse and the ability to master Bahasa Malaysia will also be an advantage,” she said.
Furthermore, according to Noor Azimah, if a Malaysian graduate is able to master English, he or she may someday join a multinational company whose main language is English.
“If one day this graduate has to deal with the Malaysian government or Indonesian government, they must also have a very good command of Bahasa Malaysia,” she said.
Noor Azimah opined it is always good to be bilingual or even multilingual, as the opportunities that come with the ability to speak more than one language are even greater.
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Faculty of Education senior lecturer Dr Bity Salwana Alias said there is no excuse for a Malaysian not being able to speak Bahasa Malaysia.
“It is downright shocking and embarrassing if a Malaysian fails to converse well in Bahasa Malaysia,” she said.
Bity Salwan said Malaysians should not brush aside their own language just because they want to learn another.
“Malaysians must first master their own language and then they can add other language skills too but never push it (own language) aside,” she said.
Noor Azimah and Bity Salwana were commenting on the government’s decision to emphasise the empowerment of the Malay language, which includes compelling foreign students to learn Bahasa Malaysia.
Last week, Prime Minister Datuk Sri Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced that Bahasa Malaysia will be used at official government functions abroad only when English is not the host country’s national language.
He also said that he will propose to Asean leaders on the use of Bahasa Malaysia as Asean’s second language.
Former Cabinet minister Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz said the decision is a backward move that does not help Malaysians to progress in the modern world.
She said Malaysians only stand to lose out if there is no focus on mastering English.
