Mahathir backs English teaching in Malaysia
By IANSWednesday, August 11, 2010
KUALA LUMPUR - Former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad has strongly backed the continuance of English language teaching in Malaysia, saying this “will not make us less patriotic.”
He has joined the ongoing debate on the usage of the language of the country’s onetime British rulers in present-day education.
“People should accept the fact that English is currently the language of knowledge,” The Star Wednesday quoted him as saying.
He said the Internet came with various languages but English was still the main language on websites.
Mahathir, who initiated the change to English for teaching science and mathematics during his 22-year rule, said the two subjects should be taught in English as most of the information and research were written in that language.
“You cannot rely on someone to translate the latest information for you as it changes every minute.
“If you master the language, you can acquire the information by yourself and search for the information that will benefit you,” he said during a talk on Impact of Technology on the Future of Higher Education.
