Oath to protest language-switch policy

Over 60 youths swore an oath to protest the teaching of Science and Mathematics in English last night, during a rhetoric-laden ceramah (public talk).

The three-hour event at the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall in Kuala Lumpur was a prelude to a 100,000-strong rally scheduled to be held on March 7.

The rally will end with the handover of a memorandum to the King at the national palace to appeal for abolition of the language-switch policy, also known as the Malay acronym of PPSMI.

Some 600 people were at the ceramah, including a handful of Chinese educationists.

PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim did not turn up as expected, as he was attending a “very important meeting”. He was represented by PKR deputy president Syed Husin Ali.

Federal Territory PAS Youth leader Kamarulzaman Mohamad led the group which comprised members of the wing, undergraduates and members of various youth organisations.

Their take on the policy is that it goes against the spirit of the federal constitution, and that it is detrimental to academic performance in the two subjects as well as to the learning of Bahasa Malaysia and other mother-tongues in school.

Local poet Dinsman recited a Malay poem that ridiculed the policy. It described the implementers as orang gila (crazy people) and shamed former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad as someone who is not fluent in his own mother-tongue.

The policy had been introduced during Mahathir’s tenure, over the vocal criticism of most groups involved in vernacular education.

Abolish PPSMI Movement secretary Hasni Abas gave a presentation on the history of the movement.

Teras president Azmi Hamid, one of the key speakers, said: “Handing a memorandum to the King does not imply that we are derhaka (traitors). It is not derhaka (treason) to march for the preservation of the Malay language.

“We may not agree with the actions of Hang Jebat (legendary Malay warrior who revolted against the Malacca sultan). But tonight, we will all be Hang Jebats, not because we want to defend a falsely convicted friend, but because of the emergence of an oppressive government!”

“Raja adil raja disembah, raja zalim raja disenggah (A just king will be obeyed, a tyrannical king will be brought down),” said the fiery speaker, citing a popular Malay saying.

“We wish to share our views with our King, which is why we need to see him and appeal to him. If we fail to see any changes after that, then we shall make our demands even louder!”

‘Look at Japan, Germany’

Syed Husin claimed that students’ performance in Science and Mathematics has deteriorated since the policy was implemented.

“I have met many Malaysian scholars who are pursuing engineering, chemistry, science and other professional courses. Many of them have succeeded in garnering first class or second class honours degrees.

“These were the same students who studied Science and Mathematics in the Malay language. Therefore, there is no reason to believe that the only way for our students to master those subjects is to study them in English.”

The policy has been haphazardly implemented and the consequences are being felt now, he said. International assessment tests have depicted a sharp decline in the students’ performance in the two subjects in recent years.

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang noted that all the major civilisations in history, including the Islamic civilisation, have thrived and prospered by utilising their own languages.

“Even nations like Japan and Germany use their national language as their medium of instruction, but that has not hindered their development whatsoever.

“We need to source knowledge from different languages, and not just from English. The right to knowledge is as quintessential as the right to food, water and clothing.

"But now, it is the Malay leaders themselves who have failed to defend the integrity of their own language!”