English – The “Siege” Mentality
Proponents of the opposition to English are doing the Malay Rakyat a great disservice because almost the entire electronic industry locally is already outside the active involvement and participation of the Malays as a community. Indeed, it is also well known that in most of the government, statutory, GLC, and other government sponsored specialized institutions such as hospitals, with rare exceptions, most of the more complex operations requiring fluency in English are undertaken by non-Malays.
By Dr Collin Abraham
There has been widespread condemnation, literally across the board, to the opposition towards the increasing demand for the greater use and development of the English language in our local public universities and centers of higher learning.
But with respect, most of the issues raised are not new, resulting in the failure to grasp the ‘dangerous’ negative social impact assessment for questions of ethnic/racial integration and national unity. Basically, it can be argued, that a significant section of power elite groups appear to be challenging raising the status of English, as a threat to the Malay ‘special position’ within the same context as the theoretical framework of the “siege” mentality they are expressing towards the possible withdrawal of other Malay social privileges as enunciated by me in earlier postings.
By stifling the institutional access towards the mastery of English, the Malays, as correctly pointed out by the former Minister of Information, run the risk of becoming “second class” citizens. English is the language of international business and commercial market forces, and to lack fluency in the means to compete in an increasingly competitive global environment must necessarily doom those involved to operate outside the ‘system’ irreversibly.
It has also been emphasized by many that the proponents of the opposition to English are doing the Malay Rakyat a great disservice. They must be aware that mainly because of the English language handicap almost the entire electronic industry locally is already outside the active involvement and participation of the Malays as a community. Indeed, it is also well known that in most of the government, statutory, GLC, and other government sponsored specialized institutions such as hospitals, with rare exceptions, most of the more complex operations requiring fluency in English are undertaken by non-Malays.
Indeed, the one area where Malay youth could be employed en masse would have been in the call centers as in India. But for this they will need to be fluent in the English language which they unfortunately are not.
In conclusion it needs to be strongly emphasized that the university students and the others involved cannot be blamed for the position they have taken because this is due to the disadvantaged position in which they find themselves. The root of the problem to deny the exposure the Malays to the English language is a colonial legacy, which unfortunately the elected governments after independence and since have failed to address and overcome.
It is time to redress the situation before ethnic/racial integration and national unity is further eroded.
