After meeting twice, the Barisan Nasional supreme council has made a second 'final' decision on the language switch controversy.

Umno deputy president and president-in-waiting, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, was quoted by the New Sunday Times two weeks ago as saying that "the matter has already been settled", and "there is no reason for anyone to pursue the matter further".

However, the paper quoted Gerakan president Dr Lim Keng Yaik on the same day as saying that the party will explain the need to teach Science and Mathematics in English in Chinese primary schools from next year.

Lim said he was ready to meet anyone, including representatives of Chinese organisations, who wanted to seek clarification on the implementation.

He added, "If they want to discuss the issue, then I am ready to meet them, but if their intention is to argue, I have no time".

If the controversy had been settled as unilaterally claimed by Abdullah, there would be certainly no need for Lim to be so eager to publicly seek appointment "with anyone" to "explain" and "clarify".

There is also no need for Lim to preempt and prevent any dissenting opinions by stating he has "no time" for those whose "intention is to argue".

Widespread dissatisfaction

Lim, who is also the primary industries minister, seems to be responding to the cynically quiet but widespread dissatisfaction among Malaysians over the second 'final' decision.

The prevalence of such dissatisfaction is perhaps negatively confirmed by the warning given by Abdullah that "those who continue harping on the government's decision to use English to teach Science and Mathematics will be charged with sedition".

If the majority is satisfied, there is no need for a threatening gag order, is there?

Despite these unilateral claims or assertions that the issue has been "settled", the influential Chinese educationist group, Dong Jiao Zong, yesterday came out publicly to oppose BN's decision.

So, who else are unhappy with the second 'final' decision?

First and foremost, the parents whose children in Chinese primary schools will have to duplicate the learning of Mathematics and Science in two languages.

Second, parents of all races who hold the opinion that learning English through Mathematics and Science is not an effective way and means to improve children's knowledge and command of English vocabulary, grammar, sentence construction and speech skills.

Third, Chinese primary school teachers who worry that their workload may increase without any corresponding upward adjustment of salaries and allowances.

Fourth, rural or semi-rural parents, mostly Malay and Indian Malaysians, who feel that their geo-cultural environment is not conducive for their children to learn the two technical subjects in English. And they, being ignorant in the language, will be unable to teach their children at home, or monitor the academic progress of their children.

Fifth, parents and Chinese cultural and language groups who worry that the test or examination papers of Science and Mathematics in Chinese primary schools would be set in English to discourage the use and study of Chinese.

Sixth, English-educated and English-speaking liberals who actually support the language switch but think that the ruling parties are irrational and emotional with regard to the debate, and also high-handed and deceitful in obtaining support.

Seventh, language experts and groups in the Malay, Chinese and Indian communities who feel that their professional and expert opinions have been sidelined.

Extremism charges

Eighth, the rank and file of MCA, Gerakan, SUPP and SAPP who feel insulted and humiliated by the charges of 'extremism' leveled against some prominent Chinese community leaders and organisations by some Umno leaders and the Umno-controlled newspapers in the past few months.

Ninth, middle-ranking MCA, Gerakan, SUPP and SAPP leaders who are secretly disgusted at the hostile attacks launched against their parties by editors, columnists and writers in the Umno-controlled media.

Tenth, some top MCA leaders, ideologues and strategists who feel that Umno should not have used 'illegitimate' Team B leaders, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's Chinese secretariat and the Federation of Chinese Guilds and Associations to undermine MCA's 'legitimate authority' in BN.

Eleventh, Umno's rank and file who are still very nationalistic and see the language switch as an erosion of the status of Malay as the official language, or under pressure from Malay Malaysian parents in the rural or semi-rural areas.

Twelfth, Umno hard-liners who feel that their top leadership has 'compromised' too much with MCA and other Chinese-based parties, and 'succumbed' to their Chinese-based parties' pressure, causing a steady erosion of Umno's 'dignity' as a party that upholds the ideology of dominance.

Thirteenth, Malaysian liberals of all races and age groups who dislike government leaders resorting to threats to use repressive laws like the Internal Security Act and Sedition Act to silence legitimate dissent.

'Too Chinese'

Fourteenth, Anglophiles and non-Chinese educated leaders, members, sympathisers and followers of MCA, Gerakan, SUPP and SAPP who see their parties being politically too 'Chinese' in the past few months.

Fifteenth, leaders, members, supporters and sympathisers of opposition parties who see the proposal and counter-proposals made by BN component parties without consultation with them and the wider civil society as examples of 'arrogance of power'.

Who then is happy with the decision?

The answer is rather simple: unelected bureaucrats and advisers in the Education Ministry and the Prime Minister's Department who got their salaried jobs done.

Also basking in joy are the suppliers of courseware, textbooks, computers and language training courses who have already signed commercial contracts with the government.

JAMES WONG WING ON is chief analyst of Strategic Analysis Malaysia (SAM) which produces the subscriber-based political report, Analysis Malaysia. Wong is a former member of parliament (1990-1995) and a former columnist for the Sin Chew Jit Poh Chinese daily. He read political science and economics at the Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. While in Sin Chew, he and a team of journalists won the top awards of Malaysian Press Institute (MPI) for 1998 and 1999.