No law to say only BM as medium of instruction in schools — Karambir
MIRI: The Education Ministry’s latest statement saying it is unlawful to use English as a medium as instruction in schools is clearly a regressive move, which will impact the future of children in Sarawak.
In a written parliamentary reply to Batang Sadong MP Nancy Shukri, who had asked the ministry’s stance on Sarawak schools using English as the medium of instruction, the ministry said it violates Article 152(1) of the Federal Constitution and the National Language Act 1963/67, which contravenes the letter and spirit of the Education Act 1996.
Academician Karambir Singh said: “It appears that the current laws state that Bahasa Malaysia is the main medium of instruction, but it does not state that it is the only medium of instruction. Therefore, the use of an additional medium of instruction such as English is not unlawful.
“I fully acknowledge and accept Bahasa Malaysia as our national language, and we must continue and encourage its use. However, this does not mean making use of English unlawful in schools. It is an international language for communication.
“The Ministry of Education must understand very clearly that Sarawak is not Malaya. They should not impose their colonial type educational policies in Sarawak,” he said when contacted yesterday.
Karambir added that Sarawak had always had an inclusive and progressive mindset amongst and between its citizens.
“Even Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has encouraged the use of more and better English. This can only come about if more English is used in the school system.
“As an academician in a private college, I conduct all lectures in English. It is very challenging to have students with poor command of the English language. Many employers also want to have graduates with a good command of English. Having good command of English makes the graduates more employable,”
He also hoped that the Sarawak government would pursue this matter to ensure Sarawak’s children get a balanced language exposure in their schools.
“If necessary, all our (Sarawak) MPs must lobby for change to all the relevant laws to ensure that students in Sarawak can receive the best possible education and make them more employable at home and abroad,” he said.