Umno Youth wants BM medium enforced in vernacular schools
Malaysians who cannot speak Bahasa Malaysia (BM) was a hot topic in the Umno Youth assembly with grassroots members saying that this trend was straining ties between the country’s different communities.
Speakers at the assembly wanted the government to set a higher passing grade to get a Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) certificate and for BM to be the medium of instruction even in vernacular schools.
They blamed declining proficiency in the national language for strained inter-communal ties and urged the government to be strict with citizens who could not speak BM.
Pahang Umno Youth delegate Mohd Sahar Abdullah wanted the government to make getting a credit or a “C” in BM as compulsory for school leavers to get their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) certificate.
Currently, students only need a pass in BM in order to get their SPMs.
“How can anyone call themselves a citizen if they cannot speak the national language?
“Who is it that cannot speak Malay. I am sure it is not us, but maybe those people who are governing Penang and Selangor,” said Mohd Sahar in a vague reference to the Pakatan Rakyat governments of Penang and Selangor.
The topic first cropped up yesterday, when party deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said he was shocked that there were still Malaysians who could not speak the national language in this day and age.
Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin also touched on this in his speech.
He claimed that a study by the National Service Department found that there were still school leavers who could not speak BM.
Another delegate Zamanhuri Yaakob, wanted the government to set Bahasa Malaysia as the medium of instruction in all schools including Chinese and Tamil schools.
“They can teach other mother tongues but Bahasa Malaysia should not be made a subsidiary language to other languages,” said Zamanhuri from Perak Umno.
“They can keep their teachers, their headmasters and their schools boards but BM must be made the medium of instruction.” – November 26, 2014.
