The Second Malay Education Congress organised by the Malay Education and Development Organisations was held on March 26-27, 2005 in Kuala Lumpur. During the congress it was revealed that half a million of the Malay students might drop out if the policy of teaching Science and Mathematics is to continue.

Hence, the plenary session of the congress has unanimously adopted a resolution urging the government to cease implementing the policy of teaching Science and Mathematics in English, and the Malay language should be reinstated as a medium of instruction for all subjects, including in universities.

The impact of the astonishing revelation - half a million dropouts - and the firm resolution of the congress is so great that Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi subsequently promised to review the policy.

But our deputy prime minister cum the head of Umno education bureau Najib Abdul Razak immediately commented that we should not reverse to the old policy in an ad-hoc manner. His political mentor and former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad when interviewed (Rencana, Utusan Malaysia , March 29, 2005) also came forward to defend the language policy which was introduced by him three years ago.

Immediately after that and before any review is made, our Education Minister Hishammuddin Hussein hastily declared that the language policy is to continue until 2007, until then no review whatsoever would be made.

If the review promised by our prime minister could be regarded as a measure taken in an ad-hoc manner, then sure enough, when the language policy was introduced three years ago, it had been done in the same manner. And the retraction to review the language policy as promised and certain contentions of Mahathir and Hishammuddin of course were taken in an ad-hoc manner too.