Maintaining the Medium of Instruction Policy in Malaysia: The Case for Bahasa Malaysia (original) (raw)
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Malay Language: The Medium Of Solidarity In Malaysia
This study examines the development and the implementation of the Malay medium of instruction policy in the Malaysian educational system and the relation of this policy to Fishman's model and a multilingual society. The study uses interviews with persons directly involved in the process of education in Malaysia and examines a number of scholarly publications and other primary sources of information. Historical study is chosen as the research design. As a plural society, Malaysia considers nation building or national integration (Ibrahim, 1986) as being of the utmost importance. Fishman (1968) developed the concept of nationalist-nationist functions of language in nation building. Since independence, the Malaysian leadership has believed that education is critical for national integration. It is generally believed that schools inculcate children with values and knowledge that are supportive of a national ideology. The present study focuses on the process of developing and implementing the Malay medium of instruction policy in Malaysia. The performance of Malay-medium of instruction universities (National University of Malaysia, UTM, and UPM) at the postgraduate level is impressive. These universities have proven their ability to get Master's and Ph.D degree holders and medical specialists from overseas and local universities. There have been thousands of Malay-language theses in science from public universities after 1990, which indirectly shows that the Malay language can be used in education in a manner that is world class. Malay scholars have created a lot of terms in biology, especially for animal and tree names. Many types of beetles have been named with Malay words, such as Arthrotus hijau,
School and education system may be a critical and strategic platform for nation-building. At the same time, the politicization of the education system as well as the interdependent nature of schools and external forces may contribute to the destabilization of the role of school in nation building. In Malaysia, the issue of mono-lingualism as a medium of instruction in schools has been a contested one with efforts of accommodating bilingualism and multilingualism continue to be attempted with no solutions in sight. The persistence of vernacular schools has generated both intense debates and resistance. This article examines the reasons for the resistance to, and persistence of vernacular schools. The data were drawn from three main sources, namely interviews with heads and/or representatives of 12 schools (mostly national schools and Chinese schools) from four states namely Selangor, Kelantan, Sarawak and Sabah as part of a wider project on social cohesion study as well as newspapers and web sources. The resistance to vernacular schools was premised on the affirmation that national schools rest on the idea of inculcating and sustaining national identity as well as facilitating cross-cultural experience and communication while eliminating the more segregating and divisive forces in vernacular schools. By contrast, the persistence of vernacular schools pertains to the idea of sustaining minority cultural identity, countering the lack of national schools' sense of accommodation and questionable quality of education, and refuting the perception of vernacular schools as structural cause of disunity. Besides these negotiation difficulties of cultural identities in the school system, wider power politics and market politics interplay in influencing the resistance and persistence of vernacular schools. Introduction Ideally Malaysians would like to believe they have a collective culture that captures the imagination of its people as one nation. However the social reality in the socio-political landscape is otherwise because the idea of modern state, the understanding of the people and the execution of the institutional process differ. Prior to colonization, the country was led by Malay sultanate and feudal structures with distant contacts in this part of the world between the eastern Chinese frontier and western Indian and Islamic frontier. After Western colonization, the people were exposed and socialized to different sets of institutional structures. The influxes of economic migrants from China and India through the colonial economic agenda created a complex socio-political landscape with the formation of a plural society. This has led to an amalgam of structures and institutions that underpin the country's education and school system.
In this article, we discuss Malaysia's major language policies surrounding Bahasa Malaysia and English as medium of instruction (MOI) since its independence. We show how issues involving a national language vis a vis English are shaped by different ethnic and social groups' competing views regarding these languages. We argue that the language debate in Malaysia is largely an emotive one that carries a historical baggage which no one is yet ready to discard and until such time, it will continue to represent a nation divided by nationalism, race-based politics and globalisation. However, we also interpret the Malaysian government's termination of English as the MOI in certain key school subjects starting in 2012 as not necessarily an arbitrary rejection of English but as a positive move, given the many problems associated with the over-reliance on English in education and language policies throughout Asia. We, thus, see the most recent act known as 'To Uphold Bahasa Malaysia & To Strengthen the English Language' (MBMMBI) as a necessary, firm, strategic and timely response by the Malaysian government to globalisation, nation building, the increasing international role of English, and the pressure to produce knowledge and maintain national cultural identity in today's world 59 nation BuiLding, engLish as an internationaL Language, MediuM of instruction, and Language deBate of a global elite community closely linked to the widespread use of English has pressured nation states to seriously engage with this assumed most powerful language of our times, as will be seen in the case of Malaysia presented in the subsequent sections. In particular, Malaysia's major language policies surrounding Bahasa Malaysia and English as the medium of instruction (MOI) in schools and universities since its independence are specifically drawn on. We then focus on Malaysia's two major policies regarding MOI: the sudden change from Bahasa Malaysia as the MOI to English for Mathematics and Science in 2003, which was reversed in 2012 following a decade of failure seen from various angles; and the introduction of a new language policy after the reverse, known as 'To Uphold Bahasa Malaysia & To Strengthen the English Language' (MBMMBI).
Journal of International and Comparative Education, 2013
In this article, we discuss Malaysia's major language policies surrounding Bahasa Malaysia and English as medium of instruction (MOI) since its independence. We show how issues involving a national language vis a vis English are shaped by different ethnic and social groups' competing views regarding these languages. We argue that the language debate in Malaysia is largely an emotive one that carries a historical baggage which no one is yet ready to discard and until such time, it will continue to represent a nation divided by nationalism, race-based politics and globalisation. However, we also interpret the Malaysian government's termination of English as the MOI in certain key school subjects starting in 2012 as not necessarily an arbitrary rejection of English but as a positive move, given the many problems associated with the over-reliance on English in education and language policies throughout Asia. We, thus, see the most recent act known as 'To Uphold Bahasa Ma...
Not plain sailing Malaysia's language choice in policy and education
Aila Review, 2009
This paper focusses on language and education issues in Malaysia as they have unfolded in the context of nation building, societal multilingualism and globalization from independence to the present day. The paper first examines the origin and nature of language and medium-of-instruction policies in Malaysia and the rationale for them. Secondly, it discusses the conflicts and controversies pertaining to language
Language is the Soul of the Nation Language Education Identity and National Unity in Malaysia
The present paper traces the history of language policy in Malaysia from the British colonial period to the present. It examines the impact that language policies have had on the process of nation building. In light of the country's complex demographics, the article explores how shifting and sometimes contradictory policy decisions have impacted Malay identity, Malaysian identity, and national unity among the country's citizens. Finally, it examines the importance of proficiency in English, Mandarin, Tamil, and Malay for Malaysia as a country and for individual Malaysians when interacting in the global milieu.
EDUCATION POLICY FOR GLOBALIZATION AND MULTICULTURAL SOCIETY: THE MALAYSIAN EXPERIENCES
The aim of this study is to examine the development and the implementation of Malay medium policy in the Malaysia Education System, and it's relation to Fishman's model and multilingual society. Emerson, Furnival and Chopra contended that Malaysian plural society was divided in almost every respect. As a plural society, nation building or national integration was considered of the utmost importance in Malaysia. Fishman developed the concept of nationalist-nationist functions of language in nation-building. Since independence, the Malaysian leadership has believed that education is critical for national integration. It is generally believed that schools inculcate the child with values and facts, which are supportive of national ideology. The present study focuses on the process of development and the implementation of Malay medium policy in Malaysia. The performance of Malay-medium of Instruction universities (UKM, UTM and UPM) at post-graduate level was amazing. This studies using historical design. They had proved the ability to get Masters and Ph.D or degree in medic specialist from overseas and local universities. UKM had produced 272 theses at post graduate level since 1994 which 247 theses at master level and 25 Ph.D theses. Since 1995, UKM was producing about 200 theses at post-graduate level yearly. Usually there are thousands of Malay language theses from public universities in science after 1990. The thousands of theses in Malay language indirectly showed the ability of Malay language in education and its world class standard. The Malay scholars had created a lot of terms in biology especially for animal and tree name. For example, since 2001 Dr. Mohammad Salleh a world standard professor from entomology, UKM had created hundred of terms in Malaysia. A part of beetle were being names with Malay words such as Arthrotus hijau, Atrachya hitam, Dercetina bopeng, Itylus biru, Ophrida kuning, Monolepta merah, and Sphenoraia tompok; and other words such as Sarawakiola ajaib, Medythia bukit, Monolepta cantik, Nadrana dwiwarna, Podontia jalur, Pseudosastra indah, Monolepta kenit, Trichomimastra kurnia, Xenoda lapan, Paleosepharia lawa, Metrioidea molek and Liroetiell warisan; and from place such as Aplosonyx pahangi and Malay name such as Arcaries ismaili. This study using interviews with persons directly involved in the process of education in Malaysia examines a number of scholarly publications and other primary sources of information.
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF USING ENGLISH AS MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION: AN ISSUE IN MALAYSIA
This article discusses the effectiveness of using English as medium of instruction (MOI). The purpose of this study is to investigate the use of English language as MOI a solution or a problem. With reference to historical account of English language medium in the educational system in Malaysia and by analysing the arguments from both sides; proponents and opponents on this issue. It is concluded that the use is a problem or ineffective due to some aspects in society such as national identity, equality and pedagogy. Furthermore, it is recommended that Malaysian government should maintain national cultural identity in today’s world by avoiding fluctuation or inconsistence in policy of language. Likewise, it is needed to frame the concerns within a symbiotic context, harmonious development between bilingual education and cognitive development.
Language Policies in Malaysia: From Colonial to De-colonial Era
This article sketches briefly construction and re-construction processes via language policies commencing from the very outset of the colonial establishment in Malaya to the contemporary Malaysia. The present writer argues this whole process normatively represents the plurality of the language policy owing to the changing actors and changing purposes throughout the various eras. Hence the research object of this article is to draw attention into two overall language policies: the first was implemented during the colonial era, and the second one has been the product of the Malay ruling elite after the independence. In the course of time, the language policies, as the reflection of cultural force, inevitably have become significant catalysts to inculcate and transmit respective cultural values as well. These processes will be traced through significant data in archival documentaries and contemporary researches. From the education of the children of Malay ruling elites in British schools to vernacular schools and national schools, language policies took an impressive place in the history of Malay Peninsula in the sense of reconstructuring the society designed on the basis of the political power. On the other hand, the same era also witnessed development of national awareness owing to some certain policies. It is plausible to urge that language policies seem to have been very decisive for the formation of national conciousness starting from the early decades of the last century. Andthe efforts of the founding fathers of Malay communityplayed crucial roles by introducing language policies reconstructively as unifying factors of multilingual and multiracial society. Key Words: Language Policies, Malay education, social change, colonial era, modern Malaysia.