We see only the older generation of leaders of the United Malays National Organisation (Umno) reminding the younger generation as to the importance of the English language, but the same urgency can’t seen in the generation that is now next in line to lead. English seems to be like a chore for those who are tasked at teaching it and it is in this community of teachers that we have entrusted an entire generation of youth to learn the language.

We may lament and we may remind the policy makers and the decision takers but are they bothered?

We were heading in the right direction to correct that wrong when Science and Maths were taught in the English language but that, too, has been reversed. This can’t be said to be a bias issue in terms of race as all the policy makers and the decision takers are Malays. If the Malay decides, the ethnic Chinese and Indian, too, are drastically backward in the English language because it all boils down to the education system.

Until and unless they come from English speaking homes which emphasised on speaking the language correctly and reading as much literature as possible in it, the non-Malays, too, are in the same boat.

I have seen for myself, how uneasy the non-Malay interpreters in our courts feel when they have to deal with witnesses or accused persons who only understand English. They are very confident and fluent in Malay but very inept in English which is why we are still way behind in comparison with our closest neighbour Singapore.

One would just have to take a Primary Three English Language textbook from the Singapore School system and compare the same with our Year Three children here in our system and see the sea of difference. Yes, the difference is so vast that it is right to use the words ‘sea of difference’!  

The end result of all this was there for the whole world to see when we had to deal with the missing Flight MH370 recently.

The older generation of leaders of the supreme party see the end results of years of failed policy but is there the political will to devise policies that will reverse this slump? First and foremost we have to learn from our past, we had English teachers made up of mostly non-Malay teachers back then, and they did a splendid job in teaching the subject and encouraging us to converse in it. We mostly spoke in English in school back in the 70s and 80s.

Fast forward to the present time, we see a great majority of Malay teachers who have now taken over the task of teaching English in schools. These are people who don’t even speak the language themselves, or are just too shy to speak in it confidently and yet we see them teach it to our young. There may be one or two who are really good from a group of 10 but that will not make it as what it was before!

Sitting and moaning about our lack of ability in the English language is what we seem to do best. We don’t seem to care about how we are to progress, we only seem to be concerned about short term gain and the being in power perpetually. What happens to the future generations is not a concern to the decision makers.

Education is a money-making industry

Why must we allow the mushrooming of so many international schools here in the country? Are we sending a signal that the national education policy is for middle class and the lower strata of society whereas the international curriculum is for those who can afford such an education?

Why do we allow all the famous English prep schools from the United Kingdom to open up branches here in Malaysia? The reason is quiet obvious, education is a money-making industry and therefore the more private schools and colleges that are open, the more the opportunities for those who hang on to the gravy train that rides that way.

If English is to be brought back to what it was before and if the teaching profession is revamped and not manipulated by politicians and meritocracy in appointments and promotions is practised, we can see the glory days come back.

The Christian Jesuit prelates and their missions around the country did us a great service by ensuring that we had a sound education and good foundation in English which was imparted to us for free! But sadly today we seem to be arguing about how we ought to call God.  

Though the Malays are hand-picked and sent to the best residential schools in the country specially built for them using taxpayers’ money which the non-Malays so dutifully contribute, we still see a lack of interest and enthusiasm amongst the Malays today to speak and learn in English. So until and unless the Malay himself thinks that it is important to learn English, the rot and the slide in the language will continue.

It is well known that in these residential and matriculation colleges which are specially built for the Malays, the best teaching force, which can comprise of any race, is recruited. We can see some super specialist Chinese and Indian Malaysians as teachers and lecturers in these schools.

This is done so that these children get the best coaching and are sent to the best universities around the world to become graduates in their chosen fields. This is done with one policy in mind, which is race segregation in education. Despite all these efforts, we still do not see the level of success which is usually the result of such high care and mollycoddling.  

By what we see today in the separate education system of special residential schools and matriculation colleges, the Malays ought to be tops in English in the country. English will not come to those who do not want to learn and speak it well. If there is no interest and there is a total lack of commitment and a dearth of a capable English teaching force to spearhead the revival of English, we will be worst off in the years to come.

Gone are the days when the head of the school will give a speech every Monday in English, today you will be lucky to get a school head who can speak English correctly.

Therefore dear Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, it is all to do with policy. If you want a strong government and the people give it to you, good policies must be formulated and the right people must be employed and promoted for these policies to work and produce the results. But if at the end of the day, only race and religion matters, then today’s scenario is what you will get.

We may get ‘A’s by the lorry-loads but what is the use of all this when we can’t even hold ourselves well in the world stage when it matters most?