IPOH: Sultan of Perak Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah said it was imperative for all Malaysians to be proficient in the national language to show their love and loyalty for the country.
He said the ability to communicate among the multi-racial people is a pre-condition for any possible interaction and that language is a medium that enables human relationship to grow closer.
The future of the country depends on the mutual understanding and harmony among the multiracial community, Sultan Nazrin said.
In the context of the education system, he said vernacular schools must acknowledge efforts by government by providing equal opportunities and open education policy by producing students with competency in the usage of national language.
“Vernacular schools must show their commitment towards the government and the people in this country, and take responsibility to ensure that their students are able to master the language in the same proficiency level, if not better than those who attend national schools.
“Efforts to improve the competency of Bahasa Malaysia among students at the vernacular schools must be seen and accepted as a challenge. (And) this achievement in ensuring this must be made the main index for the schools’ accomplishment,” he said in his speech in his speech at SMJK Sam Tet’s excellence awards ceremony today.
He said the success of improving the students’ competency in the national language usage would help foster a nation with united society and minimise any uneasiness among the people, particularly towards vernacular schools.
“The founders of the country, when establishing the National Education Policy and the Razak Report (Malayan educational proposal), had introduced a school education system known as the national school (sekolah kebangsaan).
“This was based on the premises that the school is the best platform to unite people from different backgrounds and for them to get know each other, understand and nurture mutual respect among them, thus inculcating harmonious relations since the tender age.
“However, today’s dynamic have presented itself new challenges which calls for adjustments. Vernacular schools are allowed to continue operating. The open policy adapted by the government, must be given due appreciation by proving that fostering of unity can still be achieved through vernacular schools.
“The national language is the identity of a nation. It would be embarrassing and ironic if someone with Malaysian citizenship, and enjoys all the benefits and privileges of a citizen, but could not understand, speak, write and read in the language,” he said.