Media statement
by Ronnie Liu Tian Khiew, DAP Education Bureau Chairman and National Publicity Secretary
on Wednesday, 02 October 2002
in Petaling Jaya

BN government should heed the call of all three communities to review its plan to teach Maths and Science in English for national schools from next year

The Education Minister and his deputies have been issuing statements contradicting other Cabinet ministers in the past few weeks over the issue of teaching Mathematics and Science in English. While the Prime Minister and his deputy have been talking about the need to wait for a consensus from the Chinese- based BN component parties, Musa Mohamad and his deputies have been sending out different signals that there will be a go ahead with or without the consensus. Knowing Musa and others have no minds of their own to decide on such important policies, I can't help but holding the belief that Musa and his deputies have been taking cues from
their master, none other than Dr Mahathir Mohamad himself.

Yesterday, the Education Minister Tan Sri Musa Mohamad again said that the teaching of Mathematics and Science in English would go ahead as planned for all national schools from next year. Only a day earlier, Deputy Prime Minister Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has said that there is no decision on the matter after chairing the UMNO Supreme Council special meeting (which was not attended by Mahathir Mohamad).

On Budget Day, Mahathir Mohamad announced that a sum of RM5bil was allocated in Budget 2003 for the implementation of the teaching of Maths and Science in English from this year till 2008. Of the amount, RM978.7mil would be spent to equip teachers with computer notebooks and schools with LCD projectors and related equipment. This is an indication that the BN Government will not hold back its plan after all.

I strongly believe that the BN government will push ahead with the switch if it believes it can still win the next election handsomely. If they have doubts, they will certainly do a trick. In this case, they would promise to accept the views of those who objected the switch, but they will go full swing with the plan immediately after their big victory. Just look at what they have done to SUQIU before and after the last general elections.

It was announced in July that the teaching of Maths and Science in English would be introduced in phases beginning with Year One, Form One and Lower Six next year. The DAP has since voiced our strong objections. While we agree to enhance the standard of English proficiency among our students, we could not agree to treat our children as sacrificial lambs. We have since presented numerous study and research to substantiate our claim. On the contrary, no one, including the Education Minister himself, has been able to respond with any proven studies or sensible arguments to support the switch. Other NGOs that expressed strong objections include Dong
JiaoZong, Seven Major Associations of Clans, Chinese Assembly Halls and Chinese Chambers of Commerce, PENA and GAPENA, ABIM and various major bodies and associations representing the Indian community.