Malaysiakini.com（http://www.malaysiakini.com）
The art of politicising English, Maths and Science, 5 January 2009
by Mohamad Tajuddin Mohamad Rasdi
The issue of science and mathematics was a total bolt out of the blue - there was no debates or concerns that built itself up to culminate in the radical move to change and even challenge the present constitutional position of the Malay language.
As an academic and a person very much concerned about nation-building, I wish to offer my perspective about the so-called ‘English proficiency problem’ and the language switch concerning science and mathematics. I wish to make three points very clear in this article.
The first point is that the language switch of science and mathematics to English was a ‘brilliant’ but selfish political move by Dr Mahathir Mohamad to save Barisan Nasional’s neck in the light of the Anwar saga and the ‘reformasi’ movement of 1998.
The second point is that if we, as a nation, decides to go ‘All English’, then we should do so by amending the Constitution and following suit with the proper timeframes, expectations and training.
Thirdly, if, however, we, as a nation, feel that there actually is a place for Bahasa Malaysia as a national language as well as a language of knowledge, then we must create a radical strategy to make English a very important subject which must be given time and money as well as resources to grow. I have purposely written this article in English to show that I am not a Malay patriot nor do I believe in the empty concept of patriotisme.
As a 21-year veteran academic, I have never used this term in my writings, speeches and student supervision in order to articulate any ideological thought about Malaysian architecture, Malay architecture or Islamic architecture. I hope that we Malaysians should take charge of our children’s future and not just leave it to the selfish whims of politicians.
Malay support for opposition
First, before we get all agitated about whether we should teach science and mathematics in English or in Malay or the other vernacular languages, we should admit clearly that the change was a political move to save Barisan Nasional in the light of the ‘reformasi’ movement and in the light of 70% of the Malays giving support to the Opposition alliance.
Mahathir is a politician not much given to humility and asking forgiveness from the Malays whom he had offended in the way he dealt with Anwar Ibrahim. His philosophy is simply, if you do not support me then I will seek support form others. This was what he did and we saw massive backing from the Chinese and Indian community deserting such parties as DAP. In machiavellan political terms, it was a brilliant life-saving move.
But was Mahathir concerned about our children’s future? I don’t think so. As an academic, I have learnt to look at causes and the slow evolution of ideas but this issue of science and mathematics was a total bolt out of the blue.
There was no debates or concerns that built itself up to culminate in the radical move to change and even challenge the present constitutional position of the Malay language as the knowledge of business, culture and science.
Tun Mahathir ‘sort of woke up one day’ and decided to change the languages of the two subjects. I also remember that he was pressured by Opposition questions about why there was massive unemployment among our graduates. In a single stroke, Mahathir saved BN in the elections and answered his enemies by putting the blame sorely on the proficiency of English among our graduates and children.
The timing of the change with the unpopularity of BN and the economic crisis of ’98 as well as the perceived rape of the judiciary becoming a mockery of justice to many is something which an academic like myself cannot simply be dismissed as ‘ a well-intentioned leadership decision’.
As with Mahathir’s tactic of a media blitz on Anwar’s case with repeated distasteful innuendoes blaring the country, he immediately ordered the change to English with such rapidity that it boggles any management team to implement. We did not have time to think and digest but was swept up by his relentless strategy.
Fiddling with passing rates
After that it was a simple job of fiddling with passing rates of science and mathematics to patriotically declare the move was an unmitigated ‘success’. To an educated person like me who, although unschooled with a deep knowledge of economics, the fact remains that when there was an economic boom period, everyone gets jobs and when there is a recession many are without ones.
Those architectural graduates of mine who were terrible at English manage to secure jobs upon entry into the job market during the boom period and now those graduates working in Singapore who are fluent in English are worried of retrenchment.
So nothing to do with English lah! Ergo, I conclude, the move by Mahathir was a politically selfish one wrongfully interpreted as a progressive and magnanimous deed of a great leader.
So now, Education Minister Hishamuddin Hussein Onn says to wait until an appropriate time for the announcement whether it should be changed back to Malay. You can bet it is another political move, this time to save Umno and his position in the party.
So dear parents in Malaysia, I have learnt a long time ago that our leaders are doing things not for the benefit of our children’s future but simply their own selfish necks! ‘Itu saja. Tak ada isu lain.’
Okay, just for the sake of argument, we, as a nation in a national referendum perhaps decide once and for all to change to English for the betterment of not BN or Pakatan Rakyat but for our children. Right, let’s do so. First, amend the Constitution with regards to Bahasa Malaysia. It shall no longer be the National Language.
Close down or trim down Dewan Bahasa and give those people other jobs in the government. Next, close down Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia or tell those professors and lecturers to speak English…or else. Finally tell people like me not to write books in Malay but English, English English. Fine. Seventy percent of my writings are already in that language. No problem there.
‘Wait and see lah’
But what is happening now? When I ask the university publisher about no more books in Malay, he disagrees. When I ask the most senior government official at the Higher Education Ministry the same question, he just gestured and spoke with words and a body language that I interpret as ‘wait and see lah’.
Also tell me there’s nothing wrong with teaching architectural history and theory in English because there is one Iranian student who can manage a smattering of English in a class of 70 Malaysians all of whom can understand BM. Also tell me there is nothing wrong in failing an ‘A’ Malay student in Architecture simply because she cannot present her final year work in English.
Also tell me that all the ‘downloaded English’ that fills the presentation boards and student assignments as well as their thesis reports are also part of a ‘progressive culturalisation’ in that language. Please, ministry, do so in writing so that my conscience is clear.
Now, for the other sake of argument, let’s say that we revert the teaching of science and mathematics back to the mother tongue and in English, we must tackle the enhancement of English by the following strategies.
Firstly instead of 4 periods of English per week, we should make it ten periods. Cut off two periods from Bahasa Malaysia, two from History and 2 from Geography. Why should Bahasa Malaysia be given more time when every other subjects are in BM. (See, I told you that I was NOT patriotic). I honestly don’t think that we would fare worse with a little less history and geography, do you?
Next, hire more English teachers such that a class of forty students should be split into twenty each so that more reading time can be focused. Thirdly, get the proper reading books - lots and lots of them.
Proper library hours
Fourthly, make time available for students to read those books during school hours by having a proper library hours and management and a buddy system that gets merits and reward both the student-teacher and his or her ‘student’.
Send the local English teachers for 6 months overseas study leave so that they might get other experiences as well as the English culture as language is inseparable from it. These are just for starters and there are many more. My wife and I have been perfecting a reading programme that ensures the students’ ability to read and understand what they read before they are bogged down with the structural questions of grammar and syntax.
So there you are - in a nutshell. In Malaysia let us speak Bahasa Malaysia as the national language. Let us respect the culture and language of other mother tongues too. I do not feel right when a student from the vernacular schools come into the national education system with hardly a sound of Malay and that is undeniably very wrong.
I am as appalled when my architect friends who are in the millionaire’s club come to examine UTM students and can hardly speak a word of Malay. For shame! A Malay villager has to sign a Sales and Purchase property agreement in English of which she or he knows absolutely nothing about.
What kind of leadership in the Malay elite has led us to this sad state of affairs? Simple, English and national education are always race-politics issues to serve the selfish ends of particular political groups and individuals. Let us backtrack and review Mahathir’s decision and proceed more rationally and make the right decision - for once.
・PROF DR MOHAMAD TAJUDDIN MOHAMAD RASDI is attached to the Department of Architecture, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.
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