A good leader unites, seeks feedback, and has vision, but a weak leader divides, has poor communication skills and lacks the gravitas to inspire change.

Prime minister Anwar Ibrahim was opening the National Language Month 2024 at Ipoh Convention Centre when he launched into a furious tirade about certain “elite groups” undermining the Malay language because of their obsession with the English language.

This horrible remark will dent his reputation and further divide the nation.

The allegations showed poor judgement and that he lacked a grip on the direction of the education of this country.

Anwar refused to identify the “elite groups”, and it did not help that he made several generalisations.

Whom do these “elite groups” represent? Is this a distraction from the usual 2Rs (race and religious issues)? Are we now entering a class war of the elites and the non-elites?

The PM claimed that members of this “elite group” had grown up in London. He did not name New York, or Sydney, or any other western capital. Why specifically target London?

Many Malaysians who worked or studied in London would eventually return home, having completed their overseas stint.

If their children had accompanied them on their posting, they would be schooled in English.

However, many would have arranged Malay tuition for their children to ease them back into Malaysian society and education on their return.

Malay is a requirement especially if one is keen on a job in the public sector. So, these Malaysians cannot be said to undermine Malay especially as they have taken steps to learn the national language.

Moreover, these professional Malaysians would not presume to identify themselves as “elite”.

So, who are these “elite groups” targeted by the PM?

Anwar claimed that these “elite groups” had “…a phobia towards our own language”. On what basis did he make this outrageous claim?

He said, “I want to remind those overly fixated on the English language that while they may have grown up in London, they live in Malaysia and must represent the hopes and aspirations of the Malaysian people as a whole.”

This sorry saga has revealed that Anwar does not have a clue about the state of our education and the lack of proficiency in English in our schools.

Anwar’s judgement about the Malaysian education is a big issue, and the fact that his education minister is equally clueless about the deteriorating standards of English at schools is worrying.

Anwar’s judgement about the Malaysian education is a big issue, and the fact that his education minister is equally clueless about the deteriorating standards of English at schools is worrying.

We want to encourage foreign investors, but our local graduates lack proficiency in English. Even local investors loathe to hire them because of the potential poor communication at work with suppliers, customers, and members of the wider business community.

We churn out thousands of graduates who lack self-confidence and whose inability to converse in basic English is undermining our country’s development.

They may excel in Malay but their lack of fluency in English puts them at a disadvantage.

They may be envious of the Malaysians who can speak Mandarin and Tamil, and more importantly can articulate themselves in the English language.

In the 1970s, extremist and nationalist Malays of which Anwar was one, were critical of the population learning English because they claimed that speaking English showed a distinct lack of patriotism.

They were shortsighted in their views.

Sadly, this politicisation of English has continued till this day.

In 2018, Shamsuddin Bardan, the executive director of the Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF), said that a good command of written or spoken English helped in communication both within and outside a company.

He strongly disagreed with the perception that employers discriminated against bumiputera graduates.

Shamsuddin said that the private sector was responsible for 90% of the employment in Malaysia. They used English in their business undertakings, and he attributed the failure of bumiputera graduates to find jobs in the private sector to their poor command of English.

Will the PM and his education minister open their eyes and be receptive to Malaysian parents of the 21st century? Speaking English well opens many doors throughout the world!

The root cause of many Malaysians enrolling their children in international schools has never been about the Malay language.

More to the point, it is about the low standard of our education system, and the poor quality of teachers and teaching.

It is about racism which in some cases is perpetuated by teachers. It is about the lack of discipline, unchecked bullying, racial quotas in sports and when awarding scholarships, and the shocking lack of punishment of teachers who are guilty of sexual abuse.

Anwar is wrong! No one has undermined Malay as the national language, and so, did he make up the existence of this “elite groups”?

Malay has been placed at the highest pedestal, and is firmly entrenched in our schools, society and civil service.

English can open our minds so that we can excel on the world stage in science, technology, education, diplomacy, tourism, banking, international trade, aviation and business.

However, it is the politicians and their selfish agenda to be identified as nationalist heroes and their reluctance to make English a priority in schools that will put Malaysia at a disadvantage.

Making baseless accusations about “elite groups” undermining Malay and championing English only benefits extremist politicians in the short term. It will not help the nation in the long run.

Sources:

1. Malaysiakini: PM chides ‘elite groups’ for undermining national language
2. Malaysiakini: Ex-DAP MP schools PM on how to promote BM
3. Malaysiakini: PKR leader schools Ong, recalls Anwar painting over English signboards
4. Free Malaysia Today: Poor English still an issue among local grads

(Mariam Mokhtar is a Freelance Writer.)