Some lost on both languages

That was the heading of a letter to the editor that was published in the Star of 3rd July 2009.

I could not agree more. So the arguments to and for English as a medium of instruction will continue unabated until the politicians come to a decision. Whatever decision they make, I hope they will see to it that we master at least one language. That is the key.

But as always it will take another generation before we can see the results, good or otherwise. The children will definitely be the victims, especially the less privileged if the decision is not implemented accross the board.

Those who need help must be given the help. No two ways about it. We have to acknwowledge the disparity in distributing our scarce resources and we must make amends. If we ever hope for a more equal society, a very concerted effort must be the clarion call, not just boardroom talk.

The full letter:

IT is a known fact that our younger generation is weak in English and I am happy to know our Government is addressing this issue.

Sadly though, I have not heard anything about the level of proficiency in Bahasa Malaysia. Are we happy with the command of Bahasa Malaysia among our youths, especially the non-Malays?

We have used Bahasa Malaysia as the medium of instruction for more than 30 years, and yet I can still find many who are below 30 years old who are weak in Bahasa Malaysia. Despite going through school and passing examinations, this group of people cannot converse in Bahasa Malaysia.

There are many local graduates who are neither proficient in Bahasa Malaysia nor English. They cannot speak, write or debate in both languages.

In short, for all its strength, our education system has created a portion of society who can neither speak our national language nor the international language i.e. English.

Why do we talk about mastering English to compete globally when we cannot even master our own national language?

RONIN TAY,

Kuala Lumpur.