‘I’m the one studying not you’

Last Thursday a Form Three student put out a plea to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and his deputy Muhyiddin Yassin to reconsider the PPSMI policy reversal.

PETALING JAYA: A Form Three student has penned a brief but poignant message to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and his deputy Muhyiddin Yassin, asking them to reconsider their decision to abolish the teaching and learning of Science and Maths in English (PPSMI).

Melissa Yoong wrote on both ministers’ Facebook pages on Oct 13 telling them that she had just been told by her teacher that she would be learning Science and Maths in Bahasa Malaysia when she moves into Form Four next year
Her Facebook message read:

“I have been learning Science and Maths in English for the past nine years and now you expect me to learn these two subjects in Malay.

“How am I going understand everything in Malay after learning in English for all these years?”
“Please reconsider your decision on this matter.

“Please also understand that I am the one studying here and not you, so please don’t simply play around with this matter as you like. Thank you.”

Big support

The message has since received 474 comments and the support of 3,643 people.

A smattering of them have chastised her for kicking up a fuss and even suggested she move abroad if she wanted to speak English.

The majority however threw their support behind her call for the government to reverse a decision that has caused much distress among students and parents alike.

PPSMI was introduced in 2003 by former premier, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who believed that the policy would boost Malaysia’s progress and global competitiveness.

By 2008 PPSMI had been fully implemented in all primary and secondary schools nationwide.

In 2009 however Muhyiddin who is also the Education Minister announced that PPSMI would be abolished as it had failed to achieve its objective of raising students’ proficiency in English.

The policy has been replaced by another policy of upholding the Malay language and strengthening the command of English (MBMMBI).

Uphill battle to reverse policy

Students going into Form Four next year have since been told that they will be studying their Science subjects in Bahasa Malaysia although their parents insist they have not been officially informed of this by the respective school heads.

And while the government has promised that dual language textbooks would be ready before the MBMMBI is implemented, parents have found that only textbooks in Bahasa Malaysia are available in bookstores.

The policy reversal has received strong opposition from various NGOs, particularly the Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia (PAGE) who has been fighting an uphill battle for a policy reversal.
PAGE chairperson, Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim, recently told FMT that many worried students have been approaching her to voice fears of performing poorly in the SPM examinations due to the abrupt language switch.

“Children should be enjoying their studies not worrying about policies which is the job and responsibility of adults,” she said.

FMT also understands that unhappy parents from schools in Subang Jaya, Damansara and Old Klang Road are demanding that the Education Ministry honour its promise in 2002 to allow this batch of students to complete their SPM examination in English.