Call on Mahathir to seriously consider convening a roundtable conference of all political parties and organizations concerned about education to achieve a national consensus on the best and least divisive way to raise school standards of English, mathematics and science based on the common agreement on need for greater proficiency in these subjects

(Penang, Thursday): It is most regrettable that the government will proceed with its plan to teach mathematics and science in English in Chinese and Tamil primary schools even without Barisan Nasional consensus as clearly indicated by the Education Minister, Tan Sri Musa Mohamad yesterday (Malaysiakini) which will mark a  fundamental change in the equation of political power in the ruling coalition.

It is equally regrettable that no serious attempt  had been made to achieve a national consensus on the best and most effective way to raise English proficiency as well as standards in mathematics and science to enhance Malaysia’s international competitiveness involving all political parties, whether in government or opposition, and the whole gamut of  educational, literary, cultural  and civil bodies transcending race and language.

Instead of building on the  common agreement among Malaysians, whether political parties, educational bodies, literary or  cultural organizations on the importance and urgency to raise the English proficiency and standards in mathematics and science in schools and universities, and use it as a basis to build a national consensus  to seek out the best way to raise English proficiency and mathematics and science standards in schools and universities, the Education Minister, Tan Sri Musa Mohamad, the Director-General of Education, Datuk Abdul Rafei Mamat and other Education Ministry officials have refused to engage in any dialogue, seminar, discussion or explanation on the educational merits and demerits of the specific proposal to use English to teach mathematics and science in primary schools from Std. One.

DAP requests for meetings and discussions with Musa and Abdul Rafei solely on the educational aspects of the proposal to use English to teach mathematics and science in Chinese and Tamil primary schools have not received any answer or response.

The government can use threats to invoke  its arsenal of draconian laws like the detention-without-trial Internal Security Act and its control and censorship of the mass media to shut off public debate and  drive opposition to the proposal underground, but in a democratic society, this is a  recipe to alienate the voters and cause national division and not the way to win the hearts and minds of the people.

In a democracy, the government must be prepared for the open argument and debate and the battle of ideas, which separates free from  unfree societies.

Although Musa said  his Ministry had done “all the academic studies that we need, I do not think anyone need to do anymore” about the proposal, not a single one of these studies had been made public and neither Musa, Abdul Rafei nor any Education Ministry official has the confidence or conviction  about the educational soundness of the proposal to venture out of closed-door Barisan Nasional and government meetings to publicly  debate the proposal solely on its educational merits.

If Musa is so  convinced about the educational merits and soundness of the proposal to use English to teach mathematics and science in primary schools from Std. One, why is he afraid or reluctant to have public and even  television forums whether with DAP leaders or other political party leaders and  educationists who have grave reservations about the educational merits to use English to teach mathematics and science in primary schools from Std. One, although in full support of efforts to raise proficiency in English, mathematics and science? 

Such public forums will  give the Education Minister  the opportunity to demonstrate  his mastery of the subject as well as to expose the ignorance and even irresponsibility of those who question the merit and soundness of the proposal – unless he is himself not confident about the case for such a switch of medium of instruction for Std. One!

So far, the government has not thrown any light but only generated heat on the issue – refusing to make public  whatever educational studies and supporting arguments it has for the proposal,  preferring instead to accuse the critics for being “language and education extremists” (coined by Lim Keng Yaik on Sunday), chauvinists, anti-English, anti-IT, antediluvian, disloyal and anti-national elements.

This will be  a very sad way to celebrate the 45^th National Day in a fortnight’s time, especially as the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad has suddenly discovered the problem of racial polarization among students  in the universities – a subject which had been the constant theme of DAP leaders for the past three decades.

DAP calls  on Mahathir to seriously consider convening a roundtable conference of all political parties and organizations concerned about education to achieve a national consensus on the best and least divisive way to raise the standards of English, mathematics and science in schools  based on the common agreement among the full cross-section of the Malaysian society  on the  need for greater proficiency in these subjects. 

Let the 45^th National Day mark a new beginning for nation-building in Malaysia, where there is a rediscovered ability on the part of Malaysian leaders, regardless of party affiliation, race, religion, language or culture, to build on the common agreements already existing  among Malaysians  to reach a new and greater national consensus, instead of creating greater discord by disregarding such  areas of common agreement among Malaysians. 

(15/8/2002)