English in tertiary education

Acquiring English will not make us less Malaysian

I refer to your report “More subjects in English at universities” (Star,December 18).

The Higher Education Ministry must be lauded for giving the green light for English to be used to teach more subjects in public universities to prepare students for the global job market.
Malaysians of all races should not be ruled by emotions and make an issue of switching to English as the medium of instruction at tertiary level.

The place of Malay as the national language should not be disputed. It should be taught at all levels, in schools and universities and used widely in the administration of the country. The place of other vernacular languages should also be promoted and if possible be mastered by all communities.

The global world today is borderless where only the best, equipped with knowledge and skills will succeed. In this context, science and technology play an important role in the advancement of society. English is an essential tool in the acquisition of the knowledge in these fields. This is a fact that we must accept whether we like it or not.

In order to remain competitive we must master the language to obtain the full advantage of acquiring the knowledge in science, technology, law and even accounting.

We should not confine ourselves to just mastering a single language. The more languages we are fluent in the better our chances of succeeding in the global competition in business and trade.
We will not become less Malaysian by accepting English as a second language and as a medium of instruction in institutions of higher learning.

All parties must look at the picture as a whole and not succumb to unfounded fears based on myopic racial sentiments in this important national agenda. We must put national interests above all for the well being of the country.

Dr.Chris Anthony