English For The Future

I am an 18 year old and I believe I have the responsibility to convey to the people what we students think on the recent debate of the implementation of English in Science and Mathematics.

The debate of someone becoming less “Malaysian” when subjects are being taught in English is plain ridiculous. In fact, those who are fluent in English are the ones that are able to absorb knowledge quickly and help propel this nation towards development and modernisation. They are the ones that make this country proud in the eyes of the world when representing Malaysia in international forums and talks with other global leaders. In my opinion, these are the people who are far more “Malaysian” because they bring progress, pride and success to our shores. Not uncivilised monkeys who go to the streets. Not backward thinkers trapped in a cocoon of the past who are as outdated as they are foolish. Not so-called brainwashed people who think they are heros just by shouting stupid slogans and displaying banners that are so uglily drawn even the orang utan in the Melaka Zoo can paint better.

Our Prime Minister Dato Seri’ Najib Tun Razak is English educated since young and look where he is today. Even the new Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is a respectable figure who speaks fluent English and hails from an English medium school those days, High School Muar, which coincidentally is my alma mater too. I just hope that the benefits they gained years ago which made them who they are today are retained for the sake of the future of Malaysia’s children.

I am also baffled as to why we students and graduates are not given the opportunity to voice our opinions on this matter. I didn’t hear of student representatives attending the round table discussions. Why are we represented by political parties who only care of mudslinging the other side, organisations that are comprised mainly of outdated adults and societies that do not bother to understand our predicaments whatsoever? What, you think us students are programmed robots who know only how to study and don't have an opinion? Why do certain persatuans like "Persatuan Saya Tak Ada Kerja Nak Buat Jadi Saya Nak Cari Pasal" call the shots? For all we know, their members are only lepak kakis in kopitiam or jobless graduates who want to stir up something beacuse they are too bored!

Does the government know the meaning of the Malay proverb “genggam bara api biar sampai jadi arang”? After 6 years of hard work training teachers, millions of text books published and vast amounts of money used on ICT, are we backing out now? When playing a football match, we youngsters know that even when we are 3-0 down with the crowd booing at us, we know we must persevere and fight on. When we students enter competitions and are faced with tough competition and hard obstacles, we never back down and always give our 100%. When we face the straining pressure of examinations and difficult questions, we know we must hang on and try our best. Even we students know the meaning of persevereance. Shame on you adults and leaders who are as fragile, wobbly and unfirm as 1mm twigs in my garden. Its time the leaders learn from us students, the REAL future generation of Malaysia.