Rep all for all subjects taught in English
KUCHING: Padungan assemblyman Wong King Wei agrees with Assistant Minister for Science Research and Biotechnology Dr Annuar Rapaee for his vision to teach all subjects in English.
“I urge many more Barisan Nasional ( BN) representatives to share the same vision,” said Wong in a press statement yesterday.
However, he said vision alone was not good enough. Methodology to achieve the vision was of equal importance.
“DAP Sarawak has proposed that about 10 per cent of our state budget be set aside for reviving English education in Sarawak, which we had in the 1970s.
“Ten per cent ,which is about RM500 million, is good enough for the state government to set up an English education system and for schools to provide free English education to Sarawakians. We are financially capable of reviving the English education system. It’s the question of autonomous power,” he said.
Wong proposed two options for the state government to revive the English education system in Sarawak,one of which was to claim education autonomy from the federal government.
Under Malaysia Agreement 1963, the power of education lies with the federal government.
However, he urged the state government to claim education autonomy from the federal government because the system in Peninsular Malaysia was proven not appropriate for Sarawak’s cultural and religious sentiment.
“Nevertheless, we understand that ministers from Sarawak have been asking Sarawakians to be patient in claiming autonomy. Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing even told the State Legislative Assembly that there was no time limit for such a process,” he said.
Option two, he added, was to obtain private school licences.
He urged the state government to adopt the model of private schools, by obtaining licences from the federal government to set up English schools.
Many private schools in the country have obtained such a licence. There is no reason why the state government will fail to get it.
There are two options for the state government to make the dream a reality. The question now was whether the state government was willing to do it, he said.