KUALA LUMPUR – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today pledged to discuss with Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek how current requirements set for Tamil taught as an additional language in secondary schools can be relaxed.
Officiating the 11th International Tamil Research Conference at Universiti Malaya here today, Anwar said that currently a minimum of 15 students is needed for a Tamil language class to be held.
“I will tell and propose the Education Ministry to make the necessary adjustments, although if we set the condition (number) to 10, we should allow nine or 11 students also.
“(This is) just to allow students to master an additional language. In schools around the world, like the United States and China, people encourage students to master two or more languages, which means in this case for Indian students, to master Bahasa Melayu, English and Tamil. I think it’s an advantage for Malaysia to have students who master more languages,” he said.
Also present were co-chairman of the conference V. Sivakumar, who is also human resource minister, and MIC deputy president Datuk Seri M. Saravanan.
Although the National Education Policy stipulates that Bahasa Melayu is the main medium of instruction in schools while also promoting the use of English to improve proficiency, Anwar said that, at the same time, students should be encouraged to learn additional languages in secondary schools.
He said there was this old mindset among many Malaysians, including some Malays, that they should fear the promotion of other languages in secondary schools, particularly the Chinese language.
“They seem to ignore the fact that mastering a second or third language is a necessity.
“Can you imagine the New Malaysia (in which) there is proficiency in the national language, with students mastering English and a significant number mastering Tamil, Chinese or Arabic languages (as well),” he added.
The prime minister said mastering multiple languages was Malaysia’s strength as only a few countries have that level of competency, adding that this should make Malaysians proud.
Anwar also announced a RM2 million allocation for Universiti Malaya’s Indian Studies Department and another RM2 million for the Education Ministry to review the requirements for Tamil education in secondary schools.
These allocations, he said, were in honour of the 11th International Tamil Research Conference today. – Bernama, July 22, 2023
