DAP deplores Zainal’s threat to use ISA and calls for a halt to the extremist rhetorics to  manufacture an artificial crisis of racial confrontation over the controversy in the use of English to teach maths and science

(Petaling Jaya, Monday): The threat by the Deputy Home Minister, Datuk Zainal Abidin Zin yesterday that the government will not hesitate to use the Internal Security Act (ISA) against “extremists who continue to stoke racial sentiments” to oppose the proposed use of English to teach science and mathematics in Chinese schools is most deplorable. 

It is the latest in a series of  escalation to manufacture an artificial crisis of racial confrontation over the controversy over  the use of English to teach mathematics and science in primary schools in Std. One next year as there are  certain political forces who want to have an excuse to  justify a government crackdown on  dissent by  orchestrating  another Operation Lalang mass arrests under the ISA when there is no air of racial tension or confrontation in the country at all. 

It is most regrettable that Barisan Nasional leaders have been increasingly  resorting to extremist rhetorics to give the impression that Malaysia is in the throes  of a grave racial confrontation and crisis – when this is completely untrue and baseless. 

The latest contributor  is the Gerakan President and Primary Industries Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Lim Keng Yaik who fully endorsed the warning by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad on Saturday to “cultural and education extremists” among  Chinese educationists to stop “playing with fire” or face action! 

There is a  controversy over the proposal to use English to teach mathematics and science in national, Chinese and Tamil primary schools from Std. One next year – but this is not a racial issue and there is no racial confrontation over it, as it is not one race but all races who are upset by the proposal. 

All Malaysians, whether Malays, Chinese or Indians, are one in their agreement on the urgent need to raise English proficiency to check the rot in the decline of the language created by short-sighted and failed government policies of the past.

However,  there  are  strong disagreements among all racial groups as to  whether the proposal to teach mathematics and science from Std. One next year is the best or even the proper way to address this problem. 

Although there is widespread disquiet and even opposition to this proposal in the Malay society, this is not a racial or anti-Chinese phenomenon –as it is not the Chinese community which is forcing on the Malays  the switch in the medium of instruction for mathematics and science in the national primary schools. Furthermore, there are also Chinese and non-Malay students in the national primary schools who will be similarly affected by the proposal. 

Similarly, the opposition to the use of English to teach mathematics and science in Chinese primary schools from Std. One is not a racial or anti-Malay phenomenon as it is not the Malay society already upset about the switch of medium of instruction in these two subjects in national primary schools which is forcing this measure on the Chinese primary schools – which have 60,000 Malay and non-Chinese pupils – but the multi-racial Barisan Nasional leadership comprising UMNO, MCA, Gerakan, SUPP, MIC, etc. 

The same applies to Indians who are upset by the similar move in Tamil primary schools – not an anti-Malay or anti-Chinese phenomenon, as the MIC President, Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu is leading the campaign for such a switch of medium of instruction. 

There is no racial tension or confrontation in the controversy over the use of English to teach mathematics and science in national, Chinese and Tamil primary schools – and no one should try to create the impression that there is such racial tension or confrontation, especially as Malaysians are preparing to celebrate the 45^th National Day in  less than three weeks. 

Malaysians have been urged to participate in the Merdeka month celebrations so that it could also be a special attraction to woo more tourists to earn tourist dollars for the country.  This is another classic case of the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing – as how can tourists be attracted to Malaysia during the Merdeka month celebrations when other Barisan Nasional leaders are assiduously trying to create the impression that Malaysia is in the throes of a racial confrontation and crisis over the English teaching issue, with talk about racial unrest and use of ISA? 

Mahathir said in Ipoh on Sunday  that the issue of the use of English in the teaching of mathematics and science should not be politicised as it is not an element of politics but relates to a language for the acquisition of knowledge.

I fully agree that this is a serious educational issue and I call on him not to clamp down on media and democratic space for full debate on the educational merits and demerits of the use of English to teach mathematics and science in primary schools from Std. One, whether for national, Chinese or Tamil primary schools.

Educational research on bilingual education worldwide in the past three decades have shown that using a second language as a medium of instruction from too early stages can impede the development of thinking skills of children  resulting in low achievements in mathematics, science and languages – which are powerful educational arguments against the use of English to teach mathematics and science from Std. One.

Is the Prime Minister prepared to allow a full public debate on the educational merits and demerits of the use of English to teach mathematics and science in primary schools from Std. One, with the Education Ministry   taking a full part by producing  educational studies, surveys and supporting grounds for such a move?

Malaysia cannot afford another national crisis like the Operation Lalang crackdown on democracy and human rights – as the immediate casualty will be Malaysia’s economic recovery resulting from a further erosion of  Malaysia’s international competitiveness already in a  critical stage in a changed global and regional context following China’s entry into the WTO,  outdistancing South East Asia as the magnet for foreign direct investments. 

Let Malaysia show the world that Malaysian nation-building on the eve of the 45^th National Day is not so fragile and that Malaysians  have the maturity to debate and decide on  issues on how to enhance Malaysia’s international competitiveness and educational questions  like the use of English to teach mathematics and science in primary schools from Std.One without plunging the country into a new national crisis of concocted inter and intra-ethnic tensions. 

(12/8/2002)