PENANG, June 9 - Former Education Minister Tan Sri Musa Mohammad said the proposal to make it compulsory to pass the English language in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination can be implemented provided that there are quality English teachers available.
He described the move as a good start to ensure that students had a good command of English but reminded that "the idea must be dealt with professionally".
Musa said greater efforts must be made to enable the students, especially those in the rural areas, to pass the English paper if it became a compulsory subject in the SPM.
"It is easy to make policy statement but not easy to implement it, unless with a strong will," he told reporters after attending a conference on Management in Construction Researchers Association (MiCRA) in Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), here today.
Also present at the press conference were USM Vice-Chancellor Prof Tan Sri Dzulkifli Abdul Razak and Penang Malay Contractors Association president Datuk Mohamed Fadzil Hassan.
Musa said the Education Ministry should look into its operation system and the ability of the government to implement it.
On the USM technical error in student enrolment, Musa, who was a former Vice-Chancellor of the university, urged the public to give more time to the university to handle the mistake.
"I share the upset felt by parents and students. USM should apologise directly to everyone of them. At the same time, we should be in the position of encouragement and allow USM to continue its efforts to become an excellent university," he said.
Earlier, Mohamed Fadzil said the two-day MiCRA conference was timely in view of the collapse of part of the roof of the Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium in Terengganu recently.
"We hope this conference could come out with some alternative solutions to improve construction quality in the country and to overcome human error and negligence in the future," he said.
Meanwhile in KUALA LUMPUR, the National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) also expressed its support to the proposal.
It's secretary-general, Loke Yim Pheng, said that it was a good move but the government must ensure the availability of quality English teachers before implementing the policy.
"Before implementing it, the government needs to make sure that there are enough qualified English teachers," she told Bernama when contacted today.
In addition, she said, the government must also consider students living in the suburbs and rural areas who had poor command of the English language.
"Some students are poor in English, but they are good in other subjects. It's unfair for them if they fail in English and cannot get the SPM certificate," she said.
Yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin threw this question to the public to be discussed, and for the government to obtain feedback. -Bernama
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In 1957 Malaya was born.
We had the best schools in SE Asia, except the Philippines.
Malayans spoke very good English.
There were no shortage of qualified English teachers.
Now the former Minister of Education Tan Sri Musa Mohamad tells us
We don't have enough qualified English teachers...
That is a very shameful statement.
Where are the qualified English teachers???
Gone. And many of them have left the country.
Malay teachers teaching English.
They are not passionate about the English Language.
They are taught and brain-washed that English has invaded our country.
They prefer Bahasa Melayu. English is alian. A language of the colonial masters.
They are anti-English Language.
How can they teach English well???
To teach well, you must love the language.
And this love is missing in the hearts of the Malays.
How I know???
When Malay teachers teach Maths and Science,
though the text books are in English - but these teachers use Malay to teach these subjects.
Why???
Perhaps they lack confidence.
Perhaps they lack the command of the language.
(That is why these two subjects will revert to Bahasa Melayu - these teachers cannot cope lah)...
Perhaps they hate English Language.
This is the movement - anti-English movement.
Bahasa Melayu must be No. 1 and must be used for all subjects.
This people will tell you that this is in the federal constitution.
BM is the official language of the federation.'
Therefore, BM must be the only language for all subjects.
They will also argue - Look at Japan.
They use their national language for all the subjects. Right? And they don't speak good English.
Ahhh, but we are not Japanese!!!!!
After so many years, Proton engineers cannot even make their own engines - not even for the smallest car. But Japanese can.
Look at China.
Ahhh, they don't tell you...
In ten years time, China will have the most English speaking people in the world.
Why? Bcos China is not Japan.
Look at India.
In primary schools and secondary also - every state in India can use their own language (dialect) - but at university, the students will study in English. All university graduates in India speak very good English...and yet they can speak their mother tongue be in Tamil, Malayalam or Hindi. And India has some of the best engineers and doctors in the world. Don't believe - go to the Silicon Valley in US - Indians have invaded America.
English made compulsory.
Very sorry lah.
With Malaysians attitude - English cannot be compulsory.
If you do, the Malays will be going street protests tomorrow and they will march to the Istana.