Johor ruler, Adenan visionaries in promoting English
MANY newspaper articles encourage Malaysians to promote the use of the English language. “Words, words, words” as Shakespeare would say in Hamlet.
We are aware that English is the official language of air transport and shipping; the pioneer language of science, technology, computers, and commerce; and the main medium of education, publishing and international negotiation.
As our economy develops, it is an advantage to learn international languages such as English and maintain Bahasa Malaysia and other ethnic languages.
This is critical to preserving linguistic diversity and economic-cum-cultural advancement.
We are also aware that the quality of English is deteriorating, yet we seem powerless to prevent its slide.
What can we do to reverse this trend?
We can take inspiration from two outstanding sons of Malaysia: the sultan of Johor and the chief minister of Sarawak.
The Johor sultan has a unique empathy with his subjects and he didn’t mince words when he declared that we should emulate prosperous Singapore and make English the medium of instruction in our schools.
Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem may seem self-effacing and mild-mannered, but behind that veneer of politeness sits a man of indomitable will and vision.
He said: “Chinese brothers and sisters in Sarawak are not pendatang, and they are just as Malaysian and loyal as anyone else.”
He had the courage to make English the second official language of the state, stating that he was “only being realistic” and that “as long as we are on Earth, we must learn and master English”.
He added: “Even those living in Mongolia have to learn English.”
We can bring in foreign English teachers and pay them handsomely to tutor our students, but it will be of no avail.
The principle underlying mastering the language is “use it or lose it”. If English is made the second official language, the mere use of the language in official correspondence will make people proficient in it.
In this era of globalisation, we have to seize the bull by its horns and follow the recommendations of the two visionaries for our future prosperity.
n DR A. SOORIAN, Seremban, Negri Sembilan