Don’t be too strict on English usage, Education Ministry urged

KUCHING: The Education Ministry should not be too strict on the usage of English as medium of instruction in schools to the extent of making it unlawful and justifying its move by referring to various laws and the Federal Constitution over the issue.

Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah who is Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports said as English is an important global language, children and Malaysians in general should be encouraged to master the language.

“English is the language for business and understood all over the world, let’s not get too emotional about this,” he added.

He said this when commenting on the Education Ministry’s stance of not agreeing on the use of English as medium of instruction in national schools saying that it violates Article 152 (1) of the Federal Constitution and the National Language Act 1963/ 67, and cintravenes the letter and spirit of the Education Act 1996.

Batang Sadong MP Nancy Shukri’s had asked the ministry recently on its stance in relation to Sarawak schools using English as medium of instruction.

Abdul Karim said that after 55 years of Independence through Malaysia, the people were still confused about the usage of English and Bahasa Malaysia as medium of instruction in schools, adding that both languages are important.

He thus called on Malaysians to master both or even other languages too.

“The more languages that one masters, the better it is for that person,” he pointed out.