PBDS: Radical steps needed to stop English proficiency among Sarawakians from deteriorating
MIRI: The Sarawak government must take radical, but positive, steps to halt the decline in the standard of spoken and written English among Sarawakians.
In voicing this out on behalf of Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS), its information chief Andrew Bugie said it was of great concern that since 1971, about the time the medium of instruction was changed from English to Bahasa Malaysia, the percentage of students failing in the English Language subject had been rising.
This, he argued, called for the state government to address this matter before it could become worse.
According to him, PBDS has taken note that many politicians, especially those from Peninsular Malaysia, are against the teaching of the English language in schools.
“They deem those promoting the use of English as ‘unpatriotic, not nationalistic enough and not respecting Bahasa Malaysia’.
“Listening to this anti-English language rhetoric only retards our nation’s socio-economic progress and such reasons proffered against the English language are without basis,” said Andrew in the statement.
He said the PBDS, while agreeing that Bahasa Malaysia holds high importance as ‘the language of national unity and domestic communication’, Sarawak ‘badly needs English to move forward and progress’.
“This is because English is the most widely-spoken language in the world, and also a global language of knowledge, commerce and industry, science and technology, law and diplomacy, information technology and so on.
“English is a global collaborative language and to deny one from mastering it is equivalent to killing one’s future.
“On the other side of the coin, what is the use of Bahasa Malaysia outside of Malaysia? If it’s so useful, then why are the elite Malays sending their children for overseas education?
“While other countries like Japan, Korea and even China – to name a few – are doing their best to improve their proficiency in the English language, Malaysia seems to be going to the opposite direction,” he observed.
A retired teacher, Andrew said PBDS had been calling upon the state government, under the leadership of Premier of Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg, to push for autonomy, especially in education matters.
“Sarawak should be allowed to chart her destiny regarding education and form her own education policy for the good of the state.
“PBDS believes that Sarawak’s education policy should not be dictated by narrow-minded politicians from Peninsular Malaysia who seem to be prejudiced against the English language due to their own inability to speak another language other than Bahasa Melayu.
“Sarawak must realise that to move forward and to be on par with the industrialised nations, where the high standards are demanded in order to be competitive in the fields of science and technology, mastering the English language is of the utmost importance.
“The fields of science and technology require the extensive use of English, as most books on the said subjects are available in English, and very few are written in Malay.
“Therefore, knowledge of English is very important and has to be taught early at a young age, at the primary level.
“It is imperative that Sarawak restore the use of English as a medium of instruction,” stressed Andrew.