<div dir="ltr"><div style="" id="stcpDiv"><div class="" style="margin-left:220px;margin-bottom:30px"><h2 class="" style="border:medium none">Sarawak English policy will alienate rural folk, Malay business groups warn Adenan</h2></div>
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<span class="" style="float:left;width:620px"><img alt="Malay business groups criticised the Sarawak government made a rash decision when it adopted English as the language of the administration — Wiki pic" src="http://www.themalaymailonline.com/images/sized/ez/kuching_wikipic_620_439_100.jpg" style="float: left;" height="439" width="620"><span class="">Malay
business groups criticised the Sarawak government made a rash decision
when it adopted English as the language of the administration — Wiki pic</span></span>KUALA
LUMPUR, Nov 21 — The Sarawak government made a rash decision when it
adopted English as the language of the administration, Malay business
groups here said, expressing fear that the policy could end up widening
the state’s social class divide.</p>
<p>
The groups — the Malay Economic Action Council (MTEM) and the KL Malay
Chamber of Commerce (DPMM) — questioned the rationale behind what they
believe to be an unnecessary move, and warned that it could create
unnecessary discomfort among the rural folk who converse more fluently
in Bahasa Malaysia, the national language.</p>
<p>
“Inequality is growing, between the middle income and the lower income
groups. English [proficiency of the latter group] is still either at the
medium or lower level.</p>
<p>
“The use of language that is different from their day-to-day
conversation would turn them away,” MTEM CEO Mohd Nizam Mahshar told
Malay Mail Online when contacted.</p>
<p>
He also argued that Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem’s decision
appeared to be without proof of efficacy and suggested that the state
first conduct a study to determine which language is more prominently
used by Sarawakians.</p>
<p>
“We shouldn’t allow [sentiments] distort what the actual medium of communication is for the majority.</p>
<p>
“Lower medium and low income classes are still the majority even among urbanites,” he said.</p>
<p>
DPMM (KL) honorary secretary Datuk Aslah Abdullah questioned the need
to add another language for official matters when he noted that there
was never any problem before with the use of Bahasa Malaysia.</p>
<p>
“There has never been any language barrier. Why try to change? Everyone
already speaks Bahasa Malaysia, from city folk to people in the kampung
(villages),” he told Malay Mail Online.</p>
<p>
“Iban and Kadazan people also speak Bahasa Malaysia as well. This
decision will only push more people away,” he added, echoing Mohd
Nizam’s remarks.</p>
<p>
Adenan had earlier this week told a state civil service gathering that
English is the official language of the administration, along with
Bahasa Malaysia, and that government correspondence can be in both
languages.</p>
<p>
The first-term chief minister also cited recent reports claiming that
graduates here have been finding it hard to get employment because of
their poor command of English and said this proves his point on the need
to be proficient in the language.</p>
<p>
On Thursday, state minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Openg explained
that Adenan was merely upholding Sarawak’s right under the Malaysia
Agreement 1963 to use English as the state’s official language.</p>
<p>
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said recently that Malaysian
graduates often lose out in the job market as they lack confidence due
to their poor command of the English language.</p>
<p>
The Umno president said that despite scoring well in their
examinations, Malaysian graduates still struggled to secure jobs because
they fail to persuade employers that they possess the qualities sought
after in the corporate sector</p>
<p>
Parents groups have been lobbying the government to reintroduce the
teaching and learning of Science and Mathematics in English (PPSMI), a
policy introduced in 2003 but discontinued seven years later.</p>
<p>
English-language lobbyist such as the Parents Action Group for
Education (PAGE) continue to push for the return of — or at least the
option for parents to choose — the discontinued policy that they contend
was needed to improve the mastery of English as well as technical
subjects.</p></div> - See more at:
<a href="http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/sarawak-english-policy-will-alienate-rural-folk-malay-business-groups-warn#sthash.8EYWUhfv.dpuf">http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/sarawak-english-policy-will-alienate-rural-folk-malay-business-groups-warn#sthash.8EYWUhfv.dpuf</a></div><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature">**************************************<br>N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to its members<br>and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner or sponsor of the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who disagree with a message are encouraged to post a rebuttal, and to write directly to the original sender of any offensive message. A copy of this may be forwarded to this list as well. (H. Schiffman, Moderator)<br><br>For more information about the lgpolicy-list, go to <a href="https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/" target="_blank">https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/</a><br>listinfo/lgpolicy-list<br>*******************************************</div>
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