A phobia is an irrational fear, propagated by a disorder of anxiety coupled with a severe reluctance of engaging with the source of said fear. If I stuck you in a cage with a rabid dog, one would fear for his life as rabies is fatal.

However, if I stuck you in a cage with a teddy bear and you gave me a similar reaction, something is not quite right. That is a phobia and it can leave people severely debilitated. To rationalise such a fear is questionable, but a particular phobic tendency that I am about to tell you, can be rationalised.

There is a love-hate relationship for the English language in Malaysia. We, as a post-colonial nation - inheriting the civil infrastructure and social construct of colonial Britain - are abnormally incapable of wielding English as a language suitable for both higher and lay use. Note the use of “abnormal”, yes something is not quite right.

Wikipedia had two references when I searched it for “Malaysian English” as well as an unverified page with startling claims. It said, “According to census, only about 20 percent of Malaysians are proficient in English,” while suggesting that the post-1970 decline in the language had been attributed to the phasing out of English medium schools.

Some would attribute this to the greater scheme propagated by former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s rise in power, his passion for Malay nationalism and the alienation of core Anglophone values.

In late 2015, Deputy Education Minister P Kamalanathan reportedly stated that 25 percent of all students sitting for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination would fail overall if English was to be introduced as a compulsory pass subject.

Though acknowledging this problem, he highlighted several measures that would be taken in order to raise the standard of the language. There were previous talks of even importing English teachers from India to fulfil teaching needs and address the lack of a competent training infrastructure.

Regardless, the study of the decline in language would be extensive. However, I seek to discuss a few ideas that I find interesting. Coming back to phobia: there is a reluctance to embrace English, citing the apparent abrasion of local languages such as Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil. We have to consider this cautiously, but practically.

I remember being in school in 2008 studying SPM-level History, where the role of Bahasa as a regional lingua franca was repeatedly drilled into us. However, growing up since then and seeing the rest of the world, it is apparent that Bahasa is a key medium nationally, but not internationally. This we cannot deny.

English unlocks potential wherever you go

Academia, industry and all fields are bridged through the effective command of English. You even have to sit proficiency exams like the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) and Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), even before foreign universities would consider your application. A competence in the language is a key that would unlock potential, no matter where you go.

I am ethnically South Indian; I went to a government school in Taiping, like many others. At home we spoke the usual three languages, with emphasis on English as the primary medium. I was also very fortunate as a student in the late 2000s, as I benefitted from a functional PPSMI curriculum. I attribute this to where I am now - a budding scientist and a doctor.

English is staying and will not be going anywhere; we have to embrace it in order to learn, work and even live. It is our common tongue that would connect us to everyone else in the world and allow us to stand as equals. English is no longer the language of the white man, it is the language that is internationally spoken.

In fact, we own part of it through the use Malaysian Standard English or even ‘Manglish’. So why are we so abrupt and short-sighted with something that already belongs to us?

The fact is, the majority of people don't claim the language as a basic right, don't realise they should, or perhaps they simply don't know how to. I fear at the opposite end of the spectrum, some people just don't want to.

These problems are fixed with awareness and education. We must seek to remedy this phobia. So where have these phobic tendencies come from? It is very easy to blame the government on almost everything, but that is far too cliche for me, nor do I think it is all government related.

Improvement has to start at home. Parents must be able to tell their kids, that the ability to be multilingual is favourable. Young people do become better learners by mastering more than one language. Malaysians are in a very lucky position, as we are surrounded by people who at minimum speak two languages. We need to encourage this.

In fact, I live in a English-speaking society that laments and wishes that they learnt to speak other

languages as well. In honesty, the self-propagating ethnocentric view on language is detrimental.

The idea that “I am my language” needs to be abandoned.

With English comes the fear of cultural change. There is a fear of losing one’s own traditions or values. This is simply untrue and we need to break this myth. Learning English doesn't necessarily mean that one would don a tweed jacket and take to the countryside for a hunt and spot of tea.

Too liberal for middle Malaysia?

Let’s get real. Society and people around you determine how grounded you are to a set of values that are deemed as norm. Within the country, in ethnic communities that are tightly-knit, such fears of alienating one’s roots are extremely trivial. I would argue that to limit one’s views and values to that of a communal baseline is cruel. However, such liberal tendencies may not be acceptable in middle Malaysia.

Startling claims have been made time and time again by several sources, in the name of fighting for Malay nationalism and the Malay way of life throughout this country’s history. Most notable concerning the English language, which came during the whole PPSMI charade.

The English language was even debated on in Parliament, citing the use of Bahasa as the true supreme identity of being Malaysian. There is prejudice, then there is ignorance, and further then there is hypocrisy.

I think we can all draw a notable example during our past holidays for Hari Raya. Not a single said nationalist raised a concern highlighting the erosion of the best parts of Malay culture by Middle Eastern and Arab norms and values. Apparently, it is now the norm for men to abandon the Baju Melayu and instead wear a tent. This is disappointing.

Perhaps instead of gunning on the English language, nationalists should instead focus on the poison of Wahhabism that slowly seeps into our country. Its poison is potent and will hurt our Muslim friends here. In early 2015, the National Fatwa Council made it clear that this ideology would have no place in Malaysia. I applaud this; however, this doesn't mean that the theofascists hijacking our culture should be tolerated.

Then, there is a fear of liberalism and social change. It is true, English is a far more accessible and free language worldwide compared to Bahasa. English is an avenue that would make intellectual property regardless of temporal and spatial being accessible. People fear this, but should they?

Absolutely not.

There is a plethora of information that is presented through English, some widely accepted and some not. This does not mean that one needs to deem them inappropriate. Pick up a copy of Mein Kampf, similarly, pick up a copy of the Dhammapada! Our society has been too protected and sheltered from the intellectual prowess of those who are seen to be different from us.

Perhaps there are people who fear that the public would become too informed. Such an example is communism. Most Malaysian don't have an academic understanding of what communism is, yet for some reason everyone seems to associate it with the Chinese, or draw upon it as a subject of intense debate.

With all the arguments and points said, can we actually deliver an English dominant curriculum effectively? This is a difficult question to answer and will not be resolved in a timely fashion.

Private varsities are for the privileged

Efforts should start with clear and effective legislation and policy. The government is capable and I believe that the government needs a gentle push to deliver what we need. This will take some persuasion and consulting. The sooner we dispel myth, fallacy, baseless arguments and allegations and focus on core reasoning and logic behind the implementation of a standardised national English language curriculum, the sooner this will come into reality.

In the Budget 2016, there was mention of a Dual Language Programme which would allow primary schools the option of teaching some subjects in English. The result of this trial would be greatly anticipated in the future.

A lesser known fact is that an education in English is actually already available. Numerous private schools already offer a standardised holistic curriculum in English that mirror education systems of other countries such as the UK, India and Australia. Most of these schools do very well due to constant support from parents, good exam results and an early education that is seen to be elitist.

However, not all parents will be able to afford primary and secondary school fees that resemble the cost of a university education. The argument that those who want an English-based education should go to private schools instead of government schools, is unfounded.

Private schools in this country are for the privileged. Furthermore, as a SMK graduate I personally don’t believe in the superiority of private schools, given that an English curriculum can be delivered effectively in government schools.

Sometimes we might feel the system is working against us, but let me assure you that the government cannot be as ignorant as people seem to think. The government will not deny fact from fiction on this matter.

Sixty-four percent of employers decline candidates for work due to a poor command in English . When graduates don't meet employment requirements, then education doesn't link with industries and national productivity falls.

Furthermore, with the recent inception of the Asean Economic Community (AEC), Malaysia does not have an excuse for linguistic incompetence. It’s that, or we risk embarrassing ourselves on a very grand scale.

English is a simple language to learn, like any language there is a straightforward literal component and a less clear figurative understanding. The former and the latter are effectively mastered not through classes or tuition, but by regularising its use on a daily basis, no matter how silly one sounds.

A while back last year, Kinabatangan MP Bung Moktar Radin tweeted “EarthQuack!” instead of earthquake in response to the tragedy in Sarawak. A lot of people laughed but I attribute our renewed passion for fixing the English language problem, to figures like this gentleman. The right honourable MP had championed the need for communicating in English, no matter how odd he may have sounded.