There has been numerous calls from students, parents, Page Malaysia, NGOs, writers, bloggers, citizens of Malaysia of all races including rural Malays to retain the PPSMI so that the future citizens of Malaysia will not be left out, sidelined and become handicapped in the local and global economy.

I salute the calls and battle cries of Malaysians of all races to advocate the return of teaching of Science and Mathematics in English.

This is to ensure that Malaysians in general and the Malays in particular do not lose out in the competitive job market and globalised business environment.

It will indeed be a sad day for Malaysia if the recent announcement by the deputy prime minister to close the door on continuing PPSMI takes effect.

Dear Datuk Seri, You were educated earlier in the English medium school St John's Institution, Kuala Lumpur.

You are the best testimony of the merit of being able to learn English in your early school days.

Partly due to your early English education, you have risen to the highest position in the country without losing your "Malayness" and your ability to communicate in the national language.

Indeed you can articulate your thoughts eloquently in both languages locally and in foreign countries and this has won over many critics.

May I, humbly as your previous classmate, request that you take a bold decision on behalf of all Malaysians to retain PPSMI as an option, if not to bring back the English medium school to help those parents who cannot afford to send their children to international schools or Singapore to study English.

Today, all over the world, English is a pre-requisite in the business world and as Malaysian parents, irrespective of race, we must ensure our children are equipped with the right language skills to remain relevant and survive tough business environments.

Dear Datuk Seri, Please heed our calls and exercise your wisdom for the good of the country.

ERIC CL GAN was a former classmate of PM Najib Abdul Razak at St John's Institution.