File 31 : Math and Science in English, anyone?

This is a hot issue that is being debated up until today. Many people are still confused, be it students, teachers, academicians, and even laymen like me. We are confused as this issue had been debated for such a long time and there had been no concrete stand on the issue. In what language shall Math and Science be taught in schools? Should it be in English, in Malay, or in the mother tongue of respective vernacular schools?

As a product of national education system [this is the problem when we have many education systems in such a small country like Malaysia – everything got messed up easily], I am of the opinion that Math and Science shall be taught like before, in Malay and in Mandarin or Tamil – IF the purpose of having the two subjects being taught in English is to improve the command of English among students.

Learning these two subjects in English is not the answer to level up the proficiency of English among students. As the president of Translation and Creative Writing Association [PERSPEKTIF], Goh Hin San said “It is like operating on the leg when someone is having stomach problems”. I could not agree more on his view. He is absolutely right.

Math and Science are important subjects that would help develop Malaysia towards achieving its goal to become a developed country. Both subjects are crucial subjects and having it taught in a language which the students and the teachers could not fully understand would hamper the learning process of the subjects. It is true that English is a widely spoken language internationally but to have a good command in English does not necessarily means that we have to learn Math and Science in English.

My parents, my relatives, my teachers, and my friends learned Math and Science in Malay. So do I. But we could speak and write in English properly because the teachers always emphasise the importance of English during English classes. We had extra classes for English. We spoke English during English classes and even after classes. But the situation is different today. English is not more than just a subject to be learned in school. Teachers do not make it fun to learn English. Maybe the teachers should use the tagline that was used during my schooldays: ‘English is fun!’

In conclusion, English is not the answer if the government’s purpose of having Math and Science to be taught in English is to master the language. There are many other ways to do so. Don’t make a mistake that would be regretted later. This is for the future of Malaysia and our future depends on the policy.

p/s: Politics and educations are two different things. Maybe politicians shall be barred from being involved in policy making of the education system. Besides, by doing so, we can ensure that education will not be politicised.

File 30 : ‘Akta Hubungan Kaum’ – Race Relations Act

A few days ago, Home Minister, Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar had proposed an Act, which is at the moment known as the Race Relations Act (hereafter may be referred to as ‘the Act’) or ‘Akta Hubungan Kaum’ to be enacted. It has received well support from a number of Ministers.

However, do we really need such Act? Different people may have different views but for me, it is not necessary to have such Act.

With the Act, what was supposed to be a neutral racial relation will become a hypocrisy racial relation. For 51 years, Malaysians had been living together harmoniously and happily without the implementation of any Act to govern how relationship between ethnics should be conducted.

During my kindergarten days and primary school days, my friends and I went to school together, went to extra classes together and we even went to our English teacher’s house [Puan Santilakshmi – if I am not mistaken] for a Deepavali treat. Our relationships were great back then and there was not even one Act existed to govern our relationship.

But look at the scenario today. Ethnic relations are on the brink of collapse. Thus, instead of just coming out with a medicine to heal the sickness [an Act telling citizens what to do and what not to do on ethnic relations], it is better if the government could do a check up and prevent the sickness [by providing and nurturing young minds on ethnic relations]. After all, young minds are easier to nurture [melentur buluh biarlah dari rebungnya].

Furthermore, isn’t prevention is better than healing?
[Mencegah itu lebih baik dari mengubati…?]

File 29 : Common Bar Exam?

Those who follow my writings would know that I am a law student. Having been spending my 2 years of life in my lovely law faculty in UiTM Malaysia, Shah Alam had taught me many things on the legal aspect as well as the human aspect. Not to forget, political aspect as well.

First and foremost, for those who do not know the procedure before you are admitted to the Bar [the professional body that govern the lawyers], I am going to write here a VERY brief concept on how thing goes.

For overseas graduates and those who pursue law degree in twinning programs at private colleges, they had to sit for an exam which is called as the Certificate for Legal Practice [CLP] before they could practice as an advocate and solicitor in Malaysia.

As for local graduates [UiTM, UM, UKM, UIAM and UUM – but there’s a problem with UUM currently…], after they had finished their LL.B (Hons.) program, they need not take the CLP exam as they could be admitted as an advocate and solicitor right after they had done their chambering for the period of 9 months.

The reason for having the CLP exam was to ensure that overseas graduates would be familiarized with local laws. This is due to the fact that when they read law, for example, in the UK, they would read the Common Law. However, due to the rate of failure that is so high among CLP students, they [the overseas graduates] had started to voice out their dissatisfaction claiming that it is unfair for them to take the CLP when the local graduates need not. Plus, there are some claiming that the quality of reading law in Malaysia is not on par with the way of reading it overseas.

So, the government had now proposed to create a new examination to cater both local and overseas graduate. This is known as the Common Bar Exam. Its purpose, as can be seen by looking at its name, is to ensure that both local and overseas graduate would sit for a common exam to enable them to be admitted to the Bar. So, upon graduating, all graduates had to sit for this very exam.

Nevertheless, as a law student my self, I object to such exam. For me, CLP is needed for overseas graduates as they need to know at least a little on our own Malaysian law. They had spent their 4 years reading law overseas but when they intend to practice here, did they learn Malaysian law? No! So, that is why they need to take the exam.

As for us, local graduates, we spent 4 years in the law faculty, learning the ins and outs of our law. When we want to practice later, it’s the law that we had learned that we are going to use. So, what’s the purpose of having another exam when we had learned the laws of Malaysia for 4 years?

Furthermore, the way the law faculties in Malaysia conduct their law programs differ from one institution to another. For example, in UiTM, the course is done by using a 3+1 system. For three years, we will do Bachelor of Legal Studies (Hons.) Upon graduating, the graduates could choose either to work [as legal executives, legal advisers etc but cannot practice] or to pursue for another year doing the professional course. The professional course is needed if one wants to practice. The professional course is the LL.B (Hons.) and it is a simulation course where students will have their own firms, arguing cases as to prepare them for practicing in real world.

As an insider, I do think that the LL.B (Hons.) conducted in UiTM is the best as practicality is always better than theory. So, why should the student spend another year studying for the Common Bar Exam when they are ready to face the real world of practicing as lawyers? Besides, isn’t LL.B (Hons.) is sufficient to be the common qualifier for local graduates to practice?

File 28 : There is a saying...

There is a saying, which my friend often tells me. “Sometimes, we have to apologise even if we had not done anything wrong”. My teacher also once told me, “A person who apologise is a winner…”

Last few days, an issue had been raised up in major daily newspaper. A statement made by Bukit Bendera UMNO divison head, Datuk Ahmad Ismail where according to the reports, he had made racist statement during campaigning in Permatang Pauh.

I could not tell whether his statement was really racist or not as I was not there, hearing his speech. But whether it is or it is not, to call the Chinese as squatting in Malaysia and that they are immigrants was an impropriate thing to be said by a leader. Furthermore, leaders should show good examples and not otherwise.

Last Sunday's newspaper stated that according to him, the statement was made while referring to the old days . As for me, whether he likes it or not, Malaysians of other ethnics are not immigrant today as most of them now were born in Malaysia.

In addition, he said that he has a principle and this so-called principle had made him to reject a call made by the Prime Minister to apologise. What an insult to the PM! I do think that he needs to apologise.

Malaysians had been living together for such a long time and we are like brothers. To make such a statement was a disgrace towards nation’s building. Plus, it could hamper our hope of becoming a developed nation by 2020.

He should just apologise. There is nothing wrong to just say, “I am sorry…”. It does not matter whether Ahmad Ismail is on the right side or on the wrong side. Apologise to make things better is a great thing to be done. As the saying goes, “A person who apologise is a winner…”

File 27 : Insider's view...

Some of the billboards erected inside UiTM Malaysia Main Campus in Shah Alam...

DSC07506, originally uploaded by niezwan87.

DSC07507, originally uploaded by niezwan87.

DSC07505, originally uploaded by niezwan87.

File 26 : Welcome Ramadhan...

1. The fasting month is coming again. Thought it will be tomorrow, but it was announced last night that fasting starts today.

2. Unlike yesteryears, fasting today is not more than just an annual ritual that needed to be observed.

3. There is not as much spirit as when I was young when people could not wait for the month of Ramadhan to come

4. Anyway, with current inflation, we should stop from buying unnecessary foods at the Bazaar.

5. It is better if we can cook [which means that no Bazaar foods], but if we still want to go to the Bazaar, just buy a kuih or two. Don't buy a dozen of those.

6. To all my Muslim friends and visitors, Salam Ramadhan, and to my non-Muslim friends and visitors, wanna join me fasting to live up the joy? ;)

p/s: I'm trying to make my post short and str8... Direct to the point.. (^_^)