Housing/Science and Maths

Went house hunting yesterday. Found 2 decent places, so around this time next year I'll be living in the city. I haven't confirmed which part of the city though, although I know I'll be either somewhere around Melbourne Central or up near Spring St. At least that's one thing I worry about less, now that I've figured out my accommodation.

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The Star
Monday June 29, 2009
Anwar: Scrap use of English for Science and Maths

PETALING JAYA: Scrap the policy of teaching Science and Mathematics in English and bring back Bahasa Melayu as the medium of instruction in the education system, said Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

He also called for the return of Bahasa Melayu’s status as the supreme language, which includes using it as the medium to teach Science and Maths in national schools and also strengthening its usage in Chinese and Tamil schools.

“This issue has become a controversy for far too long.

“We consider this policy a betrayal of Bahasa Melayu as our official language,” he told a press conference yesterday.

Anwar, however, conceded that it was important to master English and agreed that there should be constructive steps taken to improve the usage and understanding of the language.

“But how we do it should be decided by educationists and with consideration towards the national education policy.

“This includes not forcing our children to pass English as a compulsory subject in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) as this will result in many students, especially in rural areas, to fail,” added Anwar.

On another matter, Anwar questioned Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s sincerity when announcing the government’s plan to introduce a new category of Public Service Department (PSD) scholarships which would be based purely on merit.

“The last time when I suggested the plan, I was called a Chinese agent and a traitor to the Malays,” he said.

Anwar also lauded PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat’s proposal to have a debate with Najib.

He said an open debate would be the best way to clear up the accusations against the Kelantan Mentri Besar.

Unfortunately for Pakatan Rakyat, I have to disagree with Anwar over his handling of the Science and Maths issue. I am seeing first-hand how some of the mainland Chinese students struggle to deal with the technical terms used in tertiary level studies. So if you think these stuff should come instinctively, you are dead wrong. There are those who can do it intuitively, and there are those who can't. It's one of the sad facts of life now.