Most Read
Most Commented
Read more like this
mk-logo
News
S'wak MP: Revive English schools as autonomy show of faith
Published:  Feb 6, 2016 4:15 PM
Updated: 8:45 AM

Sarawak DAP chief Chong Chien Jen has called for the revival of English medium schools, as proof that the federal government is sincere about returning autonomy to the state.

"If Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak is true to his word about returning Sarawak’s autonomous power to the state, then let’s start with returning to us, our English medium schools," he said in statement yesterday.

Chong was referring to Najib's promise four days ago on his visit to Sarawak, when he assured Chief Minister Adenan Satem and Sarawakians that the federal government will return powers that were taken away or surrendered by the state.

"Education is one such power and English medium schools were abolished when the power in education was surrendered to the federal government by the state government," argued the MP for Bandar Kuching.

Chong - who is also Kota Sentosa state assemblyperson - related that in the 70s and 80s, Sarawak has English medium primary and secondary schools, reminding Adenan that he should know better, as he was a student from one of those English medium schools.

"However, when our state’s rights in education was surrendered by the state government and the federal government gladly took it away from us, all English medium schools were abolished and converted into Bahasa Melayu medium schools," lamented Chong.

He stressed that the importance of a good command of the English language cannot be over-emphasised, noting that even the CM had admitted to it.

"Adenan has even openly lamented about the disadvantage of poor standard of the English language among the younger generation of Sarawakians. What better way to improve our standard of English than to have our English medium schools back?" asked Chong.

The state DAP chief posited that both Najib and Adenan are in power and the respective chiefs of the federal and state governments, arguing that they have all the power needed to revive the English medium schools.

"As such, I urge both of them not to pay lip service on such important issues of Sarawak’s autonomy in education and immediately put their words into action," he concluded.

The matter of reviving English medium schools became the subject of national debate following the decline in Malaysia's academic standing and the lack of English proficiency in local graduates.

It became a political issue in Sarawak as both sides of the political divide jumped on the populist bandwagon to win local support. The issue of education has always been a sore point in the state which is plagued with substandard quality and lack of infrastructure.

Some believe that returning to the English medium will boost mastery of the language and increase Malaysia’s educational performance. Though this was met with opposition from proponents of the Malay language and those who believe that it is the quality of education that needed improving and not the medium that needed changing.

Adenan has fed local sentiments calling for more autonomy for the state, including in education, in his recent drive for popular support prior to the state polls slated in April.

His call for devolving federal powers has been greeted by promises from Najib that such matters will be the reward for a BN victory in what is touted as the ruling pact's 'safe deposit' state.

ADS