SOMETIMES form is mistaken for substance as the debate around the recently-announced policy regarding English as a mandatory undergraduate subject suggests. The objective is clearly understood: to increase the employability of graduates. And, in a global economy where cross-border employers are of many nationalities, it is reasonable to assume that a command of English— now the international lingua franca — would be immensely useful. That makes the policy, no matter what the criticism might be, a good idea. In fact, a postgraduate diploma in a foreign language of choice should be encouraged so that Malaysia is with the kind of expertise able to serve a wide range of linguistic needs, which makes the country investor-friendly.
Nevertheless, more than language determines the quality of a prospective employee. As with all forms, substance is what makes it meaningful. That far too many complaints about Malaysian undergraduates speak of their incompetence as students, suggests more than mere inability to communicate effectively in any language, including Bahasa Malaysia (BM). The likelihood is that the young adult enters the university poorly prepared intellectually. Not unlike a bad movie, no matter what the language, it is the message that grabs the audience’s attention. Everyone is familiar with sitting through a good foreign film, even without subtitles. That the subtitles are religiously followed when it is present clearly shows that content is what grips the imagination. Even with prose, it is not merely the words waxing lyrical that captivate, but rather the story being told. Of course, language as the facilitator of thought makes command of it vital, but thought can flourish only with substance. Is it then substance — as in pithy knowledge born of understanding — that is wanting in our school system, which gives priority to rote learning and examination formats based on objective questions?
Of course, given the breadth and depth of ideas and knowledge in the English language, especially for the undergraduate, command facilitates a pedagogy that seeks to enrich substance. Not that BM cannot do the same. Unfortunately, more needs to be done to build-up adequate reading and reference resources either through original writings in BM or translations of as many texts as possible. Japan, is the best example; an Asian country with its mother tongue as the primary medium of communication able to compete on the global arena on all fronts whether modern or traditional. Malaysia looked East because of this. Rectification of the national education system, therefore, needs at least a two-pronged approach: upgrading content/substance on the one hand while, on the other, enriching BM as an intellectual instrument. The school leaver equipped thus will have the confidence to confront whatever challenges that lie ahead. For, what petrifies the individual is the daunting prospect of interacting with an inadequate interface. Maybe a reversion to an essay examination format is all it takes to stimulate constructively the synapses of the brain and bring the grey matter alive.