PARLIAMENT SESSION – Dr MASZLEE MALIK ON BAHASA MELAYU & ENGLISH
Critique by Wan Nor
1.) Again Maszlee shows himself to have very little or shallow understanding of the issues involved, and merely reads a written response prepared for him.
2.) He is unable to present any added value by PH Gov.
3.) Most critical and worrying are his projections for Bahasa Melayu on an international arena. I believe this is dreaming in the air! One of the reasons BM is barely used is because DBP has FAILED terribly!!! They can’t even control the misuse of foreign vocabulary which is substituted for Malay words, such as Bajet instead of belanjawan, or the arabic words that have contaminated the Bahasa Melayu usage. Now they are proposing that DBP carry an international mission. This will be tax money BADLY SPENT!!!
4.) Maszlee has yet to pronounce the KEY ISSUES THAT MAKE OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM MEDIOCRE. He has not been able to capture the essence of the problem faced by the education system. In my opinion, we need to get our foundation and basics right.
Opposition YB Kangar:
1.) Jawapan selalu sangat umum tanpa penyelesaian masalah sebenar (root of the problem).
[Wan Nor: I concur]
2.) Tidak ada insentif untuk menyediakan bahan ilmiah dalam BM
[Wan Nor: The incentive for literary works should be PASSION. If the writers demand any other incentive, you can be sure that the products / output will be at best mediocre]
Opposition YB Pasir Puteh
1.) Nothing new was presented by the Minister. All mentioned by YB MM was from the previous government.
[Wan Nor: I concur. Maszlee could have added value, but did not.]
Opposition YB Kubang Krian
1.) Apakah mekanisme kawalan penggunaan BM di kolej-kolej dan universiti swasta.
[Wan Nor: This question worries me. We need incentives to be compliant rather than disincentives to non-compliance through a heavily punitive regulatory environment – typical PAS-Lebai approach]
YB Dr Maszlee Malik :
ON BAHASA MELAYU
1.) It is now back to Bahasa Melayu
[Wan Nor: This indecisiveness leads to nowhere. Kejap B Melayu, then B.Malaysia!]
2.) Pelan Hala Tuju Pendidikan Bahasa Melayu 2016-25
[Wan Nor: I need to study this.]
3.) Pelan Tindakan Memertabatkan Bahasa Melayu Sebagai Bahasa Ilmu Di Universiti Awam 2016-2020
[Wan Nor: “Bahasa Ilmu” is a language used for critical thinking and cognitive development. In my opinion, it doesn’t matter what language you use, so long as you use it to further your thinking capacities. The problem with Malaysia is that we are always focused on the wrong thing. During my teaching/lecturing years, I always use ANY LANGUAGE or BOTH languages…that has proven most effective.]
4.) Tiga Tindakan:
i.) Menyediakan Kerangka Standard BM
[Wan Nor: What is this? Hasn’t DBP already got this? How much longer do they need to do this. If they take forever to lay the framework, Malaysians will never pursue depth in their own national language.]
ii.) Membangunkan Kerangka Holistik Pembangunan Profesionalisme Guru Bahasa Melayu
[Wan Nor: This is diluting SUBSTANCE…as usual. In the end we get teachers who are jack of all trades but passionate about none.]
iii.) Menaik Taraf Institute Pendidikan Guru Kampus Bahasa Melayu Untuk Menjadi Pusat Kecemerlangan National, Serantau dand Antarabangsa.
[Wan Nor: Oh NO!!! STUPID IDEA. Can’t even handle whats going on here, and they want to go cuti-cuti around the world]
5.) Jadikan BM sebagai bahasa pilihan pertama di Malaysia dan bahasa popular di persada dunia.
[Wan Nor: I’m waiting to see how…!]
6.) Kempen Membaca Kebangsaan
[Wan Nor: You can start by LIFTING THE BAN ON GOOD BOOKS particularly the translation of the Quran into Bahasa Melayu “Bacaan” by Othman Ali which is currently banned. Also all articles and books by the late Kassim Ahmad, and also the book Mental Bondage in Malay by …sorry can’t remember his name.]
7.) DBP
i.) Restructuring of Dewan Bahasa & Pustaka (DBP) – New Director is a Psychiatrist who apparently has written many books in Malay.
[Wan Nor: A psychiatrist to head DBP?!!! OK FAIL BEFORE YOU START]
ii.) Target is for it to be: Setaraf dengan British Council & Goeuther Institute
[Wan Nor: Please be realistic]
iii.) DBP akan berperanan di luar negara melalui Education Malaysia
[Wan Nor: Education Malaysia already has too much to handle. You have concentrated everything under EM, taking away much of the business opportunity of the private sector. This is why the public sector is bloated and EM will not be able to reach its targets.]
8.) ITPN
[Wan Nor: FAIL! Look at the stats.]
9.) In Service Training Untuk Guru-Guru BM yang bukan Guru Option
[Wan Nor: People who have passion in their guts don’t need to be sent for training. Every day, every instant of life presents a training ground. The issue is not training, it is hiring the right people.]
10.) Perkenalkan Pelajaran BM di kolej-kolej dan universiti-universiti swasta.
[Wan Nor: Is this going to be by force?]
NOTE:
He mentions that he was not aware of the speakers corner that is already in practice. I’m surprised at this statement. The orators conduct all kinds of activities including speakers corner. I think his colleague could have told him this.
A Speakers corner does not equate to freedom of speech in the university.
ON ENGLISH AS MEDIUM FOR S&T EDUCATION
1.) PPSMI digantikan dengan Memertabat BM Memperkukuh (MBMMBI)
[Wan Nor: Flip flop will only further destroy our system]
(The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of TTKM- Editor)