And our children's future is bleak....

It comes as no surprise to me when Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Muhyiddin Yassin announced that the teaching of Science and Mathematics in Malaysia will revert to Bahasa Malaysia.

It's what happened when you let political expediency rules over common sense.

So that nobody will say I am one sided, here's the Ministry's argument:
1. Only a small number of teachers has mastered the teaching of Science and Maths in English
2. The percentage of passes for students for the two subjects have dropped since they are taught in English
3. The gap between the performance of those in the rural area and urban Malaysia has widened (i.e. rural students are being disadvantaged as they have poorer mastery of English)

I sympathise with these arguments as much as I sympathise with people who go around saying they can't make a living because they have never gone to school. Actually, that's precisely what many of our youngs will be saying in 10 years time when they can't get a job because they could hardly speak English. Or count to 100.

Some leaders, such as the estwhile Mahathir Mohamad has argued for the teaching of S+M in English to continue as the body of knowledge of these are mostly in English. I will not even go so far.

I have seen with my own eyes how thousands of great students, intelligent kids, are being denied employment because they cannot converse in English. And yes, many of these are rural Malaysians - Malays who believed learning English is an affront to the Malay language, and Chinese and Indians who believed that learning more English will erode their mother tongue.

There is a huge majority out there who believed the teaching of S+M should remain in English. These people are simply too afraid to touch on the raw nerves of the 'nationalists' to express their opinion. When the majority is silent, the minority and extremists rule.

I have been to many conferences including scientific symposia around the world - and in all of these, I have never met a single presenter from Thailand and Indonesia - because their mastery of the English language is so weak, few were brave enough to walk up the podium. And the Malaysians who do present are all, without fail, older academicians who were trained in English from a young age.

For a quick comparison, i typed the word 'genom manusia' in Google, and i get 25,100 responses - and most of them are in Bahasa Indonesia. I tried 'human genome' and I received 6,570,000 responses.

I let the numbers have the last say.

WHO'S SELLING OUT THE CHINESE?
I get equally exasperated when I found out that among those who influenced our dearest Minister of Education are Chinese educationists and Chinese associations. These are now hailed as heroes in the Chinese newspapers and radio talk shows. Their arguments are that by teaching more subjects in English, the importance of Chinese language will be dilluted, and hence the Chinese will loose their heritage and a big part of their culture. I don't disagree.

I am of Chinese descent, but I have never believed that the strength of the Chinese is our language. I am always of the opinion that it is the Chinese ability to adapt and to change with times that has enabled the Chinese civilization to survive for thousands of years, when others such as the Mayans are all but wiped out.

My parents still rue their decision to send my older siblings to Chinese schools. All of them failed to advance beyond Form 3, because they simply could not cope with the teaching of other subjects in English and Bahasa Malaysia when they reached secondary school. The fact that both my parents are illiterate did not help, as there can be no way they could help tutor my older brothers at home in English or Bahasa Malaysia - or on any subject for that matter. My 3rd brother, was luckier, he was sent to a Chinese independent school, where he excelled in all subjects but English and Bahasa Malaysia, and graduated with flying colours in his Senior Middle 3 Exams. Yet, he did not go to university, because we could not afford education in Taiwan, which with his poor mastery of English, was his only option at that time.

My younger sister and I were more fortunate. We were sent to national school where we learned both Bahasa Malaysia and English. In a decision that must have pained my parents, we were both sent to foster homes at the age of 6, so we could learn from people who did go to school, and could tutor and guide us academically.

By denying young Chinese of the ability to master the language of science and technology and of commerce and trade, these 'educationists' and Chinese politicians are doing no less than selling out on the Chinese.

Sneak Preview of SME Solutions Expo 2009

It was setup day today at the SME Solutions Expo 2009. Over 100 exhibitors, and hundreds of people came to setup their products and booths. Some of the booths were of good quality - certainly in the running for Best Booth Design.

Here's a sneak preview of some of the booths. There's hundreds of Special Deals and Discounts for SMEs exclusively at the Expo.

Come and see us!


The huge banner at the Atrium of Mid Valley Exhibition Centre. We had to literally fight with the hall owner (Mid Valley) to get this banner moved here from inside the Hall.


Cyberjaya's booth - one of the nicest booth in the Hall. Come and see for yourself.


Bank Negara Malaysia - find out about the latest financial programmes and grants offered to SMEs.


HSBC is offering discounts off trade products and refinancing of property loans to SMEs exclusively at the Expo. Come and talk to them.


The SME Magazine booth. Work-in-progress at the booth when we snapped this pix. 'Fight Back' SME Ad Package from RM 3,888 for 3-insertions exclusively for first time advertisers at SME Solutions Expo 2009. And get your subscription at the Expo. 1-year subscription to Malaysia's best selling business magazine for only RM 60 per annum and receive over RM 40 worth of instant gifts