To the Editor of The Star : To make a mistake once is human, to make it twice is a fool

To the Editor of The Star,

I hereby refer to the column PAS: Stop Teaching Science and Math in English published Monday 8th of June 2009 and think that it is absolutely absurd. The government has made the best action of all time by changing the teaching of Science and Math to English, why return to what is wrong?

I am currently pursuing Mechanical Engineering Bachelor degree under a scholarship in Oklahoma State University, United States, in which I was made known how important English language is. I was fortunate enough to be born into an English-speaking family and was sent to Chinese Primary school and was enrolled in a Government Secondary School therefore could converse well in all 3 languages. However, I was among the last batch of students who was tangled with learning Science and Math in Bahasa Melayu. I did not find it to be problematic until I was in College when I needed to translate every Science and Math term to English, especially being a Mechanical Engineering major which has a strong emphasis on these subjects. Needless to say, it is a pain in the ass and a period of frustration given the transition from Secondary School to College is tough for a teenager. Could you then imagine the impact that it will do to a student who do not have a good English education background?

Besides, looking at the comment made by Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin that asserted the importance of English in everyday’s life, I do not see why we should not have Science and Math to be taught in English. I understand the importance of Bahasa Melayu in Malaysia and Indonesia, but without a good command of English language, how far can we (our country) go, in terms of development and economy? Just to illustrate, being a country of only the size of Kuala Lumpur, Singapore has shown such a great aura and established itself as one of the most developed country in the world, despite having none of the luxury in natural resources like Malaysia has. This is simply because the government focuses on the development of English as the core language. Not being sardonic to the Malaysia’s government, but being a graduate from United Kingdom with Double Starred First Class Honor, Lee Kuan Yew has the exposure to realize the importance of English as a medium of communication when he became the first Prime Minister of Singapore. I was thwarted and shocked when most of the counterparts/college mates that I talked to in the United States know where exactly Singapore is on the map but not knowing where Malaysia is.

To wrap things up, I would like to urge every citizen in Malaysia to appreciate our country, Malaysia, because I came to realized how wonderful our country is, with all the great food and people, only when I came to the States. Although the so-called democratic government does not always rule in a plausible manner, it is still our country. And to the government, do not add salt to the wound by having Science and Math taught in Bahasa Melayu anymore. Give and Take attitude should be adopted.

Eldrick Saw
Halliburton
SCMP Summer Intern 2009
Duncan, OK
Cell:405-612-0368
Office:580-251-3011