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Language nationalism too weak to stop English language

COMMENT Prof Wan Ramli Wan Daud of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) seems to be a late entrant to the dying field of ethnic or language nationalism in Malaysia.

Having graduated in English-speaking countries and having acquired the necessary knowledge via the English language, he is now making a U-turn to speak about the greatness of the Malay language for mother tongue education.

Yes, in the 1970s UKM could be considered as the hotbed of Malay language nationalism. In fact, UKM was created to satisfy the demands of right-wing Malay nationalists.

This would explain why the authorities refused to abandon the Malay Literature Department, despite the fact that the students abandoned it. In fact, during yearly intakes, students were forced to study in this department.

Bahasa Melayu, despite its official status, has lost much of its lustre in the past few decades!

On broader basis, I have no quarrel with Ramli for stating that science and maths should be taught in the mother tongue of the students and that this education is quite essential in the country.

But then, like it or not, the English language, given its universal applicability, has completely supplanted the use and practice of languages such as Malay, Chinese and Tamil.

Native languages have lost out to English

While Malay is still the official language of the federation, but for all intents and purpose, the intrusion of English has reduced the affectivity of the Malay language, or for that matter, languages such as Mandarin and Tamil as well.

This is not only in Malaysia, but the world over. Native languages have lost out to English. Even the Germans, French and Japanese are expressing their desire to be exposed to the English language.

I don’t agree that major achievements in science are only recorded in French and German. In fact, whether we like or not, the English language has come to stay with us for a long time.

Given this equation, it would be wrong for Ramli, who himself has benefited from education in the English language, to turn the clock back to the heydays of Malay language in UKM and insist that science and maths should be taught in the Malay language.

My problem with Ramli is not on the matter of learning science or maths in the mother tongue. In fact, I would go along with him.

But the issue is, whether we in Malaysia are in a position to reverse the trajectory of global English language dominance.

Even in universities where Malay is used as the lingo franca, are we in the position to allow Chinese and Indian students to study science and maths in their respective mother tongues? Would the gung-ho Malay nationalists allow this?

What is Ramli's stand on the use of Mandarin and Tamil?

It is one thing to talk about teaching science and maths in Malay, but it is another thing to implement it in Malaysia.

English language, for all its problems and advantages, is well entrenched in the minds of Malaysians as the language of science and technology.

Dr Mahathir Mohamad and the Sultan of Johor have subscribed to the relevance of the English language in the present global order.

Ramli has set up a unit called mansuhDLP (remove the teaching of science and maths in English), but is he capable of undermining English programmes that are being run on a voluntary basis?

Or will Malaysians allow for this to happen?

I suggest, with due respect to Ramli, that he does a careful analysis before taking an unnecessary plunge into the murky and dangerous waters of language nationalism, and even to the extent of opposing voluntary programmes that are being run in schools.

Parents, both Malay and non-Malay, would not agree with Ramli, even if he is a knowledgeable person.

If hundreds and thousands of Malay and non-Malay students are studying abroad in English-speaking countries, what will be the impact on mother tongue education?

If they come back, they would have vested interest in keeping alive the teaching of science and maths in the English language.


P RAMASAMY is Deputy Chief MInister II of Penang and the state assemblyperson for Perai.

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