jeffooi
25-11-2002, 04:27 PM
STRAITS TIMES Singapore
Monday, November 25, 2002
<font size="+1">Proposal for English in House comes under fire</font>
Leading media and politicians shoot down the suggestion by a senator to allow the use of English in Malaysian Parliament
By Reme Ahmad
A PROPOSAL for English to be spoken in Parliament was shot down by the leading Malay newspapers which said while the language is important, it should not encroach into all areas of Malaysian life.
Mingguan Malaysia and Berita Minggu also said it was a shame that it was a Malay leader who proposed the move.
The sharp rebukes followed a proposal by Senator Ghazi Hasbollah Ramli that English should be allowed in the Upper House, of which he is a member, and in the Lower House of Parliament.
Datuk Ghazi made the suggestion last week, saying the importance of English is now being emphasised by the government - as seen by the introduction of mathematics and science subjects in English in all primary schools next year.
...Said Mingguan Malaysia columnist Awang Sulung: 'The English language is important. But don't tell me that the Lower House and the Senate must use it.
'Awang hopes there won't be any suggestion for Friday sermons and Umno annual general assemblies to be held in English.'
Awang Sulung is a pseudonym used by the senior editors of Mingguan, the weekend edition of Malaysia's No 1 newspaper, Utusan Malaysia, which is owned by Umno.
The senators and parliamentarians who want to use phrases or sentences in other languages during their speeches utter the words 'dengan izin' (with your permission) first to the Speaker.
The editor-in-chief of the New Straits Times Group, Tan Sri Abdullah Ahmad, said other countries such as Japan, China and Thailand all stress the importance of English but use their own languages in parliament.
'Parliament is the symbol of the peak of honour, the independence of the race, and our supremacy. So only the Malay language must be used as the sole official language now and forever,' he said in a column in Berita Minggu, another paper that mirrors government thinking.
A fellow Senator, Tan Sri Abdullah Ayub, had also shot down the idea, saying the Senate had in the past used English alongside Malay or Bahasa Malaysia.
'I do not agree, and in fact, oppose the proposal because in our excitement to improve our English language usage, let us not belittle our own national language.
'We fought hard to raise the Malay language as the official language and had won.'
FULL STORY:
http://www.straitstimes.com.sg/asia/story/0,4386,156809,00.html?
Monday, November 25, 2002
<font size="+1">Proposal for English in House comes under fire</font>
Leading media and politicians shoot down the suggestion by a senator to allow the use of English in Malaysian Parliament
By Reme Ahmad
A PROPOSAL for English to be spoken in Parliament was shot down by the leading Malay newspapers which said while the language is important, it should not encroach into all areas of Malaysian life.
Mingguan Malaysia and Berita Minggu also said it was a shame that it was a Malay leader who proposed the move.
The sharp rebukes followed a proposal by Senator Ghazi Hasbollah Ramli that English should be allowed in the Upper House, of which he is a member, and in the Lower House of Parliament.
Datuk Ghazi made the suggestion last week, saying the importance of English is now being emphasised by the government - as seen by the introduction of mathematics and science subjects in English in all primary schools next year.
...Said Mingguan Malaysia columnist Awang Sulung: 'The English language is important. But don't tell me that the Lower House and the Senate must use it.
'Awang hopes there won't be any suggestion for Friday sermons and Umno annual general assemblies to be held in English.'
Awang Sulung is a pseudonym used by the senior editors of Mingguan, the weekend edition of Malaysia's No 1 newspaper, Utusan Malaysia, which is owned by Umno.
The senators and parliamentarians who want to use phrases or sentences in other languages during their speeches utter the words 'dengan izin' (with your permission) first to the Speaker.
The editor-in-chief of the New Straits Times Group, Tan Sri Abdullah Ahmad, said other countries such as Japan, China and Thailand all stress the importance of English but use their own languages in parliament.
'Parliament is the symbol of the peak of honour, the independence of the race, and our supremacy. So only the Malay language must be used as the sole official language now and forever,' he said in a column in Berita Minggu, another paper that mirrors government thinking.
A fellow Senator, Tan Sri Abdullah Ayub, had also shot down the idea, saying the Senate had in the past used English alongside Malay or Bahasa Malaysia.
'I do not agree, and in fact, oppose the proposal because in our excitement to improve our English language usage, let us not belittle our own national language.
'We fought hard to raise the Malay language as the official language and had won.'
FULL STORY:
http://www.straitstimes.com.sg/asia/story/0,4386,156809,00.html?