To achieve this, its president Datuk Suhaimi Ibrahim reiterates the GPMS’ call for the revival of English-medium schools, from the pre-school level, to provide a strong foundation for students to master the language.

Suhaimi says what is needed at present is the politic will from the national leadership and the people to correct what he calls a “mistake of history”.

In an interview, he says this mistake of history has caused the national education system to fail in providing appropriate opportunities for students to master the English language.

He urges groups to adopt a rational attitude and not  blindly label any effort to enhance the use of English in the country as un patriotic and non-nationalistic.

He says he has traveled all over the country and met students and parents – and that they are generally disappointed with the present situation.

English, so vital as a language of knowledge, has been sidelined by the education system because the country does not have enough English language teachers, particularly in the rural areas.

Apart from students, the 52-year-old GPMS membership includes teachers, lecturers and the youth from various professions.

“As most of the Malay students are from the rural areas, a large number of them are weak in English. This situation should be corrected,” Suhaimi says.

“If this not done earnestly from now on,  I fear that Malaysia will not become a country of excellence at the global level in the future.”  Suhaimi says the country need not start a debate on the importance of English but should mobilize all efforts to correct the weaknesses in the present education system “which does not teach the language properly”.
 
 

The following are Suhaimi’s views on the issue:

Q: A recent GPMS survey shows that the majority of respondents want English-medium schools to be revived in this country.  Can you explain this?

A: I undertook a nationwide programme to meet parents, school principals, teachers and students who frequently complains about the shortage of English language teachers in rural areas.

From this it can be seen that English has indeed become a matter of concern to the people, particularly parents in the rural areas, who want their children to master English.

Based on this awareness, the GPMS is putting g this across to the public and also to the Education Ministry and it is now up to the ministry to take the necessary measures to meet the public demand.

Q: Can this be done only by the ministry or can it be made a national agenda?

A: This is not just up to the ministry but should be made a national agenda as the entire world is waking up to this reality.  You just name the country, and it is doing the same.  This should be a national agenda.

Q: People always talk about Japan, which has become so developed using its own language.  What is your view?

A: We cannot compare with Japan which did not embrace the English language but yet has succeeded.

The Japanese are advanced in technology, the economy science and in all fields.

Because of this, the international community is beginning to learn Japanese for they have proved that they are strong and advanced.

However, we have failed to develop Bahasa Malaysia as a language of knowledge, and even as a language of knowledge, it is only used in this country – this is a reality we have to accept.

Even in our country, there are two views.  In the private sector, the use of English is quite high compared to the public sector.  This is the same in public and private institutions of higher learning.

The private sector still gives priority to students’ proficiency in English.  In this present situation, competition is tight.  Mastering English is a bonus,  an additional credit to those seeking jobs.

Q: What is the situation  like with the mushrooming of the public institution of higher learning in the country?

A: I don’t deny that public universities do teach English, but because the students are not as good in the language as those in the private universities, this poses a new challenge to those in public universities.

The number of students in public universities who are able to master English is small.

Students at private universities are trained to communicate in the language through interaction with non-Malay students and lecturers form overseas.

They are exposed at the early stage.  What I said earlier does not mean that we take drastic measures.

I don’t mean that we set up English-stream schools with out taking into account the preparations in terms of teachers, infrastructure and other facilities.

Q: There are people who say that by taking this step, it is as if we don't understand history.

A: Actually, I say we should learn from history. We should take what is good from history. It is because we understand history that we know English is important, and we can take Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad as an example.

Dr Mahathir started learning English from an early age and went to university in Singapore.  Is he weak in Bahasa Malaysia?  No.  Is he less patriotic or nationalistic?  No.

Q: As leader of a big student organization, you are in a good position to know the feelings of Malay students towards the present education system that does not give priority to mastering English.

A: I blame the system.  If not for this system, students in the rural areas would have been exposed to learning English at the primary school level.

I dare say that even secondary school students are learning English for teachers who can hardly speak good English.  This is especially glaring in the rural areas, and this the plight of the rural students.

So it is with this awareness that we should put our act together to address this problem.

Q: So how can this problem possibly be overcome?

A: We need teachers who can teach multiple subjects in English.  Under our present system, we narrow things down to using English only to teach the language.

We need to broaden the scope of teaching.  Apart form this, the number of English language teachers is getting g smaller compared with the past.  Now English language teachers can’t teach science or mathematics, because these subjects are taught in Malay.

And English language teachers mostly shun the rural areas because they are very much in demand in the urban areas by the private sector.

Q: Perhaps the situation in rural areas can improve through the concept of the through the concept of the vision schools that is being introduced now?

A: The vision school probably is an important mechanism that can help to realize this.  Vision schools must teach subject such as science, technical subjects mathematics and computer studies in English as well.

As the same time, there is a need to beef up the teaching of Bahasa Malaysia, but we must be firm in putting English in its proper place.  There ought to be a comprehensive plan to produce English language teachers.

If we need to spend more money, we should do it to send students overseas to become good English teachers, like in the past.  At the SPM level, even if students obtain only Grade Three but if they excel in English, they can be trained as English teachers and be sent to rural schools.

Q: But, even in the urban areas, can we say that the standard of English teachers is satisfactory?

A: The root to this problem is that those teaching English do not communicate in English.  English is made a subject in class but is not practiced.

Q: But we cannot blame our students for this.

A: Under no circumstance can I blame our present students.  I also cannot blame the present government officers or politicians who cannot master English.

They have been the victims of the present education policy form the days of their childhood. 

- Bernama

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