Kit Siang on 3 monkeys: All MACC officers must study English

Bernama reported yesterday that Dzulkifli had criticised Lim over the use of the word “monkeys” when talking about him. Dzulkifli said while he was open to criticism from the DAP leader, it should be conveyed in a civilised manner.

(FMT) – DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang today used a statement by the Johor Permaisuri on the need to improve English to ask MACC officers to improve their command of the language.

In a statement after a DAP kopitiam ceramah in Bangi near here, published on his blog, he said Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief Dzulkifli Ahmad should arrange for all MACC officers to undergo English language lessons, “with him the first to enrol in such courses”.

He proposed that opportunities to study English should be extended to chiefs of national institutions and government departments and agencies.

Lim said this could prevent Dzulkifli from making “the elementary blunder of accusing him of calling him a ‘monkey’ when I used the saying of the traditional three monkeys, ‘with eyes that see not, ears that hear not and mouth that speaks not’ about the 1MDB scandal”.

Bernama reported yesterday that Dzulkifli had criticised Lim over the use of the word “monkeys” when talking about him.

Dzulkifli said while he was open to criticism from the DAP leader, it should be conveyed in a civilised manner.

“The people can judge whether the behaviour and words of the DAP leader are in accordance with Malaysian culture.

“We are civilised people but the words used are extreme and uncivilised,” Dzulkifli said.

He was referring to news reports where Lim had criticised Dzulkifli when he said that all eyes were on the graft-buster, specifically on whether he would lead a clean MACC.

Lim had said that Dzulkifli should realise that if he acted as the traditional three monkeys over the 1MDB scandal, he would make the MACC the first “kleptocratic” anti-corruption agency in the world.

Permaisuri Johor Raja Zarith Sofiah Sultan Idris Shah had earlier called for concerted efforts to create more opportunities for young people to study the English Language and take their place on the world stage.

She said serious and urgent intervention was needed because of the “dramatic and drastic” decline in the proficiency of both written and spoken English among younger Malaysians in general.

In a statement, Raja Zarith Sofiah, who is also the royal patron of the Malaysian English Language Teaching Association (Melta), also urged all parties concerned to continue to motivate students to speak and write in English.

”It can be done … English can still become the language of knowledge and communication among Malaysians.”