Youths back CM’s move to make English official

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KUCHING: Sarawakians have voiced their support for Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem’s recent declaration of English to be used as an official language besides Bahasa Malaysia in the state.

DAP Youth Petra Jaya publicity secretary Abdul Aziz Isa said to be competitive in the current labour market, Sarawakians should also master English alongside Bahasa Malaysia.

“I personally think that Sarawakians should take both English and BM (Bahasa Malaysia) as the bilingual official languages. It is reported that many of young Malaysian graduates with medical degrees are unable to land jobs due to poor proficiency in English,” he told thesundaypost.

“Canada through former prime minister, the late Pierce Trudeau, enacted the Bilingual Act for English and French to be the official languages. So I think there is no problem for Sarawak to do so. Furthermore, language is a medium that unites people and that’s what makes Sarawak very unique, where we are united in diversity.”

According to him, Sarawak is already using English in courts, the State Legislative Assembly and certain government functions.

He said English was the state’s sole official language from 1963 to 1974 because the first chief minister Stephen Kalong Ningkan opposed the use of the Malay language in Sarawak.

In 1974, the then-chief minister Tun Abdul Rahman Ya’kub adopted the Malay language and English as the two official languages of Sarawak. He also changed the medium of instruction in schools from English to Malay.

Meanwhile a 23-year-old public sector employee, who wished to be known only as Florence, said she was glad that Adenan made the stand to use English in official correspondence besides BM in the state for it to move forward.

She said she hoped the state could act as an example to other states in the country.

“It is not that BM is unimportant. We have to be realistic. It is equally important to master both the English language and BM in order to survive in this challenging world.

“It is time we move forward,” she said.

College student Royston Lee said mastering English would allow Sarawakians to communicate with people globally, adding that it is a language of technical communication, science and technology.

“Even during a job interview, when the interviewer asks questions in English, they will expect the interviewee to reply in English, not BM or Sarawak Malay,” he said.

Secondary school student 16-year-old Michell Chin Kah Hui said it was not easy to master the English language but the importance of having the skills was definitely an advantage.

She remarked that Adenan’s declaration came at the right time because of the growing importance of the language in this modern era.

“I feel that both English and BM are important. Because as a Sarawakian and a Malaysian, it is important to be able to read, write and speak in BM fluently.

“Internationally, English is important as a universal language. I am also trying my best to improve my skills in English,” she said.

Private sector employee Marben Aryson, who is in his 20s, welcomed the move by Adenan, saying that he (Adenan) was just being realistic and concerned about the low employability rate among local university graduates in the private sector.

He hoped that with the declaration, people would seriously try to improve their skills in the language.

“If our chief minister can be a realistic person, then we must be realistic too. There is nothing wrong with mastering both English and BM at the same time,” he said.