KUALA LUMPUR: Watching classic Tan Sri P. Ramlee movies as well as cartoons such as ‘Upin dan Ipin’ can serve as useful learning tools for students to hone their command of Bahasa Melayu .
Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik said all schools should take the initiative to conduct fun-filled language programs in order to boost the mastery of Bahasa Melayu by all students, including those from Chinese and Tamil schools.
The teaching of any language, he said, is not a political matter but should be a bond that unites students of all races.
“We will not force the teaching of Bahasa Melayu but we hope that individual schools will take the effort to engage students through sports, food fairs and other curricular activities. Memorising is not the best way to learn any language; it should be taught through videos and dramas.
“Cartoons such as ‘Upin dan Ipin’ and movies by the late Tan Sri P.Ramlee are great lesson tools, not only in teaching a language but to also foster unity among students,” he said.
The minister was speaking at the SJKC National Language Improvement Forum at the HGH Convention Centre on Tuesday.
Also present was Deputy Education Minister Teo Nie Ching and the event’s organising chairman Datuk Eddie Heng.
Maszlee said love, happiness and mutual respect should be the core of teaching any subject, especially languages.
“If it is forced upon students, they will learn it only for the sake of learning and might never use it in the future,” he said.