English or Malay, Malaysia’s language malaise
The issue is front-page news after the states of Sarawak and Sabah decided to promote the use of English in secondary schools. For Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, it is necessary to enhance the skills of students, but critics blame identity politics for electoral advantages.
Kuala Lumpur (AsiaNews) – Education in a foreign language is once again a hotly debated issue in Malaysia after the states of Sarawak and Sabah (insular Malaysia) decided to promote the use of English alongside Malay in secondary schools.
Critics believe that the use of a foreign language makes integration more difficult and complicates daily life, while discouraging the production of Malay textbooks.
In many schools, Malay is the main language for some subjects such as history and civics, while other subjects are taught in English, thus facilitating access to universities, where teaching is mainly in English.
Different attitudes are now back in the spotlight after the two states decided to use in English in teaching mathematics and science in state secondary schools, starting in 2026, a change already in place since 2020 in primary schools.
This measure was possible by the autonomy granted to the two states by the Malaysia Agreement of 1963, further accentuating the gap with peninsular Malaysia, which is majority Malay and Muslim.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim spoke about the issue of using a language other than Malay without offending the sensibilities of Malay-speaking voters, stressing the need to promote science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in schools, as well as greater knowledge of English, which, however, is still perceived by many as a colonial language.
In the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), which assessed the level of language proficiency in math, science and reading subjects among middle school students, young Malaysians showed a low level of English proficiency.
Following the disappointing results compared to other Southeast Asian countries, Ibrahim himself stressed the importance of acknowledging the real situation rather than deny it.
However, according to many, changes in education are still affected by past political interference that exploited identity politics for electoral gain.
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26/08/2021 16:43
