One of the greatest failures of the past two premiership of Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad (for 22 years) and Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (Tun Abdullah) was their failure to enhance the country’s international competitiveness by ending and reversing the unchecked decline of English standards in the country and to ensure that Malaysian students master English as “necessary for communication and essential to keep abreast of developments in the technical fields such as engineering and science”.
Globally English is so widely spoken, it has often been referred to as a “world language”, the lingua franca of the modern era. While English is not an official language in most countries, it is currently the language most often taught as a second language around the world to the extent that it has ceased to be the exclusive cultural property of “native English speakers”, but a language that is absorbing aspects of cultures worldwide as it continues to grow.
It is a sorry spectacle in the past three decades to see the headlong decline of English standards in Malaysia, which was once the envy of other countries, undermining Malaysia’s economic prosperity and well-being in crippling our international competitiveness in the era of globalization.
The new Education Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also Deputy Prime Minister, shocked himself and the nation when he revealed early this month that he had not known that English is not a “must pass” subject for SPM and calls for public feedback on the matter.
Where was Muhyidden all these decades when he was climbing up the Umno political greasepole that he knows nothing about the grave problem of the decline of English in Malaysian schools and universities and that English is not a compulsory pass subject for SPM?
Malaysians can only worry about the future of education under such a Minister for Education!
Seven years ago, I had specifically proposed that English should be made a compulsory pass subject for SPM, STPM and matriculation examinations, as it would have the most far-reaching effects in generally raising the standard of English in schools.
This was when Mahathir asked Malaysians for their feedback as to whether they want a re-introduction of the English medium school system to arrest the decline of the standard of English, after he found to his horror during a trip to the United States that with Bahasa Malaysia, Malaysians were unable to interact with foreigners internationally in a way which was productive.
I had at the time called on the Cabinet to establish an all-party committee to launch a nation-wide campaign to promote the learning and use of English among the people to restore Malaysia’s international competitiveness edge lost as a result of the unchecked decline in the standard of English in the past few decades – so that this problem was tackled in a non-partisan manner transcending the pressures of political party competition.
However, all these suggestions came to nought.
The Cabinet at its next meeting should take the bold and long-overdue decision to make English a compulsory pass subject for SPM, STPM and matriculation courses, supported by the necessary infrastructure to improve the learning and teaching of English in the schools.
For a start, for the first five years in making SPM a compulsory pass subject, students who fail English and therefore fail the whole SPM examination should be required to only repeat the single subject of English to entitle them to a SPM pass, unlike the present ruling requiring the student to repeat the entire SPM examination, including subjects they had passed.
Other than making English compulsory subjects. The whole underlying ethos must be changed.
Anwar changed English taught in Malaysia to conversational english. Grammar becomes secondary if not tertiary.
Talking about globalization, we are going in the opposite direction! I had the advantage and we even lost that. What a stupid government we have had!
Malaysians must master both bahasa malaysia and english and do not promote one at the expense of the other period.
Errata: Talking about globalization, we are going in the opposite direction! We had the advantage and we even lost that. What a stupid government we have had!
I’m actually uneasy if making English a compulsory pass subject would not create discrimination among wide spectrum of Malaysian students. I must emphasize that Malaysia is no Singapore, Malaysian enjoys a much more socio-economic diversity than Singapore that we could not do exactly the same as them.
Bear in mind that in Malaysia, we have students from good English family background or schools with good english background (International schools, “ex-English” medium school etc)… on the other hand, we have students from rural areas where they would have nothing to do with English in their life, and probably receive not much quality education from their teachers, partly due to a pretty run down education system in those areas…
My worry is, shall we put so much burden onto the students, when the whole society and education system relax and do nothing in remedying the English standards of the students? What about the teachers? What about the quality of our textbooks/teaching materials, what about the facilities? Remember that students from rich-to-moderate family background could access to more materials, internet and tuitions for example, than those poor rural students!
I believe English as a compulsory pass subject is a good measure, but should not be one of the early measure in bucking up our English standards! One must bear in mind that right now, or even then, “Good english standards” can be very subjective! To a kampung boy, perhaps a “Good english standards” would be far lesser than those city boys. The question is, what shall we do to bridge this differences? Shall we then sacrifice the examinations standards by lowering the pass marks?
In my opinion, we shall first reduce this social and educational gap before putting forward a seemingly harsh measure. Let not the students that solely bear the burdens because I believe this will only create social injustice to the students. I think DAP as a party that champions for social justice and equality in opportunities should carefully study the proposal…
I blame media licensing laws. Having excellent English in your publications is no great use if listening to it or reading it makes you feel like someone is p1551ng on your face. I think language may have been shot in Malaysia as the messenger that conveyed the bad news.
We need good news to attract us back to the medium again. I can see in another few years I shall have stopped speaking altogether. I will just be hiding in the bushes near my house, grunting and throwing twigs at the TM vans.
Hey! How about, with all that money that DAP and PR doesn’t have, awarding a (or more than one) literature prize each year? Someone has to take a stand for ‘things worth saying and worth reading’.
Of course, I agree with your proposal to the cabinet. Good luck with that.
The person that is the smartest and led the country to what we are now..is non other than the devil…Mahathir.
UMNO is good in talking and twisting….fooling Malaysians.
Ir has to start with checking up all teachers and I will not be surprise….to know..more than 50% are not qualified and do not speak English well at all.
If we want English to be taught in schools…it starts with teachers.
If we want Malaysians to be free to think…it also starts with employing teachers that do not promote politics and say.. how good UMNO is.
That may lead us to change at least 70% of the entire force of teaches..which w do not have..as good ones from the Chinese and Indians are so frustrated…they also do not wish to be teachers at all.
Now we have identified the weakness of Malaysians…let it not be ax temporary solution….famous to be applied by UMNO …to win votes.
I ever..UMNO wishes to do something good…before surely to be voted out on the 13th GE……they should start employing great teachers from India and Europe..by the thousands…on all subjects..and all are excellent in English language….with no conditions…they must be able to read and write Bahasa…except to learn and speak well.
That should not take more than 6 months.
During training..all qualified will get allowances..not the salary promised…..and keep weeding out..those that cannot learn fast.
English must be at par with Bahasa for at least 20 years….and stop playing race politics…for goodness and heaven sake.
It will be great..if others give their suggestions…how to correct the situation permanently…besides voting UMNO out.
Horror of horrors, can you imagine a person who is in the top tier of politics to admit that he had not known that English is not a “must pass” subject for SPM and calls for public feedback on the matter? And he wanted to be the PM of this country! We don’t need another Abdullah Badawi to run down this country into the sewers.
To tell you the truth, most or all of the BN politicians are so busy with schemes of how to fleece the country’s coffers that they still do not know that there are so much problems in this country that need to be resolved. In fact, the cream of their foreign counterparts know better what is happening in this country than these ostriches.
So now you know why problems in this country cannot be resolved?
IF THEY WANT TO LIVE IN A BOX… LET THEM BE…
IF CHANGING THE TEACHING LANGAUGE OF A SUBJECT NEEDS TO BECOME A POITICAL AND RACIAL ISSUE, THEN LET OUR WISE GOVERNMENT DECIDE. WE PUT THEM THERE IN THOSE CHAIRS TO MADE SUCH DECISION ANYWAY. IF THEY THINK THAT BAHASA MALAYU IS THE BEST CHOICE FOR TEACHING MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCES IN THIS COUNTRY, LET IT BE.
LET IT BE….. TIME WILL TELL… WHO ARE THE STUPID ONES.
Ramesh Laxman is right – up to a point, Language is not only a tool of communication, but also of isolation. It would not be wrong to promote English and Bahasa Malaysia in different ways. Bahasa Malaysia has an important place as the heritage language of Malaysia, just as Irish is in Ireland. Irish is the national and first official language of Ireland, but it’s rare to hear it spoken outside of the national Irish teaching areas. Many old Irish people (my elderly relatives included) regret and resent the decline of the Irish language in day-to-day use. I think the same could not be said of the young Irish.
Some ‘expense’ is inevitable, even if the word is unnecessarily emotive. It’s inevitable that people will favour one language over another, unless expertise in more then one language is a benefit to them. If I could master additional abilities at no expense to those I have already mastered, I would be a rare individual.
How can we make English a compulsory pass subject when there are still countless teachers teaching their innocent charges nonsense such as “Four push three equals one” and “I is your new teacher”?
There is only one way to master the English Language:- Reading and understanding books.
–http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Sunday/National/2587829/Article/index_html
In commercial firms…they cannot afford solutions that work for awhile only. It must be a permanent solution.
That’s why follow ups .quality controls..with research and developments .always upgrading…..moving ever forward.
But in Malaysia…so many UMNO owned companies never have all that…yet so successful…then all of a sudden…need billions to bail them out…..starts all over again…their ever successful money making company….in such strange ways to make huge profits…so typical…only in Malaysia.
Is is not strange….but clearly are tools….used for UMNO corruptions….UMNO company cronies…..they are.
Like I said.even the riches man in Malaysia…so honest and noble….keep away from UMNO and MCA…a Malaysian…prefer to live away from Malaysia.
Robert Kwok is the man.
I strongly agree that Malaysian should master English language in order to compete internationally.
Unfortunately, Malaysia has a super-incompetent and indecisive Education Minister! That’s why Malaysia is heading backwards to join other less-developed nations.
When quota is still being implemented in Malaysia, what’s the point of talking global competition? To increase competitiveness, first thing to do is abolish quota!!
Bentoh is right to be concerned about Malaysia’s diversity. While we were living in the UK, in a rural area not very far from a small city in the North of the country, my wife (she’s Malaysian) attended an English evening class. I’m not sure whether it is still true, but at the time the UK government funded local adult / further education colleges to provide free English lessons to resident non-English speakers. My wife attended a higher level class, the exercises for which I found quite taxing!
Why is there no effort from the Malaysian government to promote Bahasa Malaysia to resident adult non-speakers? If the rural areas are going to suffer from lack of exposure to English (if English is to be made somehow compulsory), why not specifically fund English tuition for adults too? Skewing funding towards rural areas is not an advanced arithmetic problem (and it’s language-independent!), I’m sure there must be one or two bright sparks in the government who would be capable.
This language issue is one of many where it appears there’s no real interest to check sliding standards. Why the indifference? It beggars belief. Perhaps they read the NST and believe it.
There is only one way to master the English Language:- Reading and understanding books. — k1980
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k1980:
I totally agree with you. I got an F in my English paper in my MCE examination. My standard of written English was worse than what was presented by Yap in his email to LKS yesterday.
So how do I improve my written English? I read a lot of books and I brush up my grammar. And most important of all, I avoid the dumb idiot box which doesn’t encourage you to use your brain but to turn you into a couch potato. You don’t need to exercise your thinking capacity, everything is pushed into your dumb skull.
But with reading, you don’t have a choice: you have to use your mental faculty to understand or you will just give up everything and remain a ‘TV-educated’ moron.
With the Internet it was a boon: it gives me great opportunity to practice what I have learnt.
So don’t tell me everything is lost. Even an old dog can learn new tricks, what about young malleable minds if one has the will to improve?
k1980 Says: teaching their innocent charges nonsense
If I flick through teaching materials from my daughters’ school, or from the schools of my nephews and nieces, I see very simple errors on very many pages. Is there no central body enforcing standards in teaching texts in Malaysia? These are books and booklets that have been printed for the sole purpose of education – but are riddled with mistakes. What chance does a teacher have?
Don’t get me started on ‘this is pink colour’ and ‘that is green colour’: when I told my nephew that it’s ‘this is green’ and ‘that is pink’, he came home the next day overjoyed to pass on the message from his English tutor that “you are wrong!”. What chance does any of us have?
Grammar is central to the mastery of any language. Today’s schools are producing students with poor command of English simply because they are not taught grammar. This is like expecting students to solve trigonometrical problems without first being taught vital formulae such as sin 2A= 2sinAcosA and tanA = sinA/cosA. Had young Barak Obama been in this country instead of Indonesia, he too would had flunked his SPM English paper.
no need to make english compulsory yet. why u may ask. well, how well will you think the students fare in this subject IF THE TEACHERS ARE NOT GOOD IN ENGLISH !!!
i’m not saying all teachers are ‘weak’ in english but there are some. why u may ask. its because these weak english teachers are actually graduated during the all malay curriculum time.
i suggest all the teachers be given a very general english examination to review their knowledge FIRST. if they are found to be weak, the government should ‘give tuition’ to these teachers !!!
i think this don’t only apply to english alone. it should be applied to other subjects that the teachers teach too. this way, we will be sure to at least know that the teachers teaching the allocated subjects at least have a fairly general knowledge before passing on the knowledge to the students.
just an example: can a chinese teach students of jawi or tamil or can a malay teaches chinese or tamil or can an indian teaches chinese and jawi ? in these cases, i think the percentage of students failing will be VERY HIGH UNLESS the teacher is expert on it!!
english is UNIVERSAL and no one should doubt it but accept it as a fact. try asking our malaysian astronaut , najib and muhyiddin especially to talk in bm when dealing with foreigners. i’m sure these foreigners will slam the door away. so i hope english be make a primary language at par with bm. however, since china and india is developing fast, maybe the students should learn these languages too but i will feel very sympathy to them because it will become an added pressure though.
“How can we make English a compulsory pass subject when there are still countless teachers teaching their innocent charges nonsense – Says k1980
I agree. The first problem to be solved is not the students themselves but the teachers, the schools and the education system. Making English a compulsory pass is not going to magically raise the standards of English.
We should instead make it compulsory for our teachers to master proper English grammar before making it compulsory for our students. Fire those teachers that cannot master English. We don’t need educators who are incapable of learning. Replace them with foreign teachers if needed.
Then we can talk about the next steps.
“however, since china and india is developing fast, maybe the students should learn these languages too” – Says newchief
You are wrong. Learning Chinese or Hindi would never become necessary. Example, are we required to learn Japanese because Japan is a huge economy and invests a lot in Malaysia? No of course not!
The reason is, English is a global language used by many countries whose national language are not even English. That’s why we need it.
Look at China. China is encouraging its people to learn English now. The national television company CCTV even started an english language only channel to encourage its people to pick up and learn English.
english is also important in acquiring knowledge in all other areas as well e.g. business and commerce, current affairs, international relations etc. any attempt to make english (or learning english) less important is unjustifiable and backward thinking.
i think making a must-pass for english at spm and stpm levels cannot bring the students much further in competing with people from the competitive english speaking world.
(1) a pass in spm and stpm levels can assure some proficiency in general communication and usage of the language. to make us competitive internationally, we have to target the improvement of english at the tertiary level. How to improve english proficiency for our graduate is more important. universities should think how to do it.
(2) tool: INTERNET (with satisfactory speed) access and availability of computer hardware to all students, especially students of the rural areas.
(3) reduce the reliance from english teachers, you have to teach the students how to learn english by themselves. we should provide sufficient awareness that acquiring english competencies IS important, train the students be motivated and interested in the learning process.
(3) one area that we always ignore is the role of the parents. you will be surprise how much parents could do in helping their children acquire the language. again, awareness and motivation. we should improve awareness to provide encouragement and support to their children. lacking of motivation and patience is always the problem in language learning.
(4) jumping to learning english in math and science is not a good solution. let the language enhance acquisition of knowledge but not the other way around. in the learning model, we should prioritise the language skills to be acquired at various level. vocabulary and grammar must first be acquired. at secondary school level, more vocabulary and grammar and focus on writing, comprehension and conversation. at tertiary level, comprehension and full use of english in knowledge acquisition. [just a suggestion]. i believe there are plenty of literature assisting us in teaching english as a second language.
Graduates nowadays just cannot speak English!!!
Just look at our freshies joining MNCs…
No wonder they are against teaching of English & Maths in English!
Make you MP guys in the parliament to debate in English. You guys used BM simply because most MPs do not have very good command of English.
pulau_sibu – in earlier days, English can and was used in Parliament.
I do support return of English to Parliament.
IN Malaysia everything is done out of political expedience. The country can go to the dogs but if the UMNO politicians can gain political mileage out of it its is definitely a GO.
Why English is ruined to such an extent within these 30 years is not difficult to comprehend. UMNO wants to make themselves looks a full blue blooded nationalist and send the message that it is only the Malay language that can forge unity and breed Nationalism but at the same time quietly send their children for overseas education which are all conducted in English.
It is a double barrel hit for them because the Kampung Malays will be retain as the backwater Malays where UMNO can “tarik their hidung saperti hidung lembu” and keep on bluffing them. That is why most of the seats they get are from the “kampung” constituency”. You can really count with your fingers on the number of seats won from the urban constituency by UMNO.
Coming back to the learning of English, it is not so much on how difficult the language is but how you are committed to prepare yourself to learn the language and how much effort the government is prepared to put in to make the people learn the language. The Chinese and Indians proficiency in the Malay language is a clear testimony to this. If you make a language mandatory, most people can rise to the occasion and the Chinese saying of “if the horse dies you will have to walk” is something that makes the Chinese practical people and a hardened society who can survive in any part of the world.
Another example is the Kampuchean maids who are prepared to come here to work. They are practically devoid of any other language except their own language when they reach our shores. Given them 3 months working in an English speaking family, they will soon be able to converse in English and the same if they work with a Malay Family. Within 6 months to 1 year they can speak better English than most Malaysians. That is what I meant in the ancient Chinese saying of “when the horse dies you have no choice but to walk”, but in UMNO they just give “opium” to their fellow countrymen so much so that when the horse dies they just sit down and wait for Gods help but if God is busy they will go along with the horse.
Umno is more interested to promote “ketuanan Malayu” or malay supremacy rather than “the english language “.Its main reason is the later will cause them to lose poor and humble kampong malays votes in an election.After more than half a century,bahasa malaysia flig to bahasa malayu than flog to bahasa malaysia,now flig again to bahasa malayu .Certain malays NGO even went to the street angrily to demand the return of the teaching of BM in the science and maths although the results show some improvement of the english language.Those demonstrators are mostly supporters of Umno’s ketuanan malayu ambition.In addition,these group and others now want to have “jawi” or arabic language to complicate the matter.Although most malays know that they need english to catch up with the globalised world,they still have the arrogant feeling that learning the english language will make them feel less “ketuanan malayu “.Their arrogance is so strong making them believe that the malay language can be internationalised. This is their whim and fancy. To me it’s an impossible dream as the community is too insignificance and weak to do it.
Can not lah, how to bring back English. It is the language of Malaysia’s colonial master. We must exterminate everything associated with English and England. Come to think of it, how come we still have Georgetown? It should be renamed Bandaraya Parameswara. Where is our national pride? We can not let our children know that this great nation of ours was once colonized by the Portuguese, Dutch and English.
Joke aside, there is no way now to bring back English. It will need 5 to 10 years and I don’t think any politicians will have that kind of stamina. Easily 50% of the teachers (and may be university lecturers too) are no longer competent in English. How do we make our students fluent when most teachers are hopeless?
A compulsory pass in English at SPM level? Well, no issue at all. It can be easily done. So long as students are able to write their names and index numbers on the exam scripts, a P8 will be awarded. Ingenious Malaysia is famous for this. We can push up or push down passing grades to meet UNESCO or other international standards. Don’t tell me we have not done this before. Ask Ministry of Education.
As usual the monkey becomes excited and agitated and chatters so much about the importance of English except that he forgets one crucial thing…NAMELY HE CAN’T EVEN WRITE IN SIMPLE, GOOD PROPER ENGLISH! If you want to look for the perfect murderer of the English Language, look no further than this monkey who has fired volley after volley of gibberish in his move to drive the coup de grace in English with his wrong, grammar, wrong spelling and above all…yes wrong facts!!! It is a big shame in that when we are trying to revive the usage of good English which the UMNO/BN killed in 1969 when they announced the death knell of English-medium schools, through blogs like LKS where we can do our part by writing good, simple clear English, which even schoolboys accessing this blog can understand, the monkey does the exact opposite! His continuing and persistent moves to write not only in disjointed sentences, but intersperse these with bad grammar, wrong spelling and the like, HAS DONE THE BIGGEST DISSERVICE TO ANYONE TRYING TO PROMOTE GOOD USAGE OF ENGLISH IN HIS BLOG, like LKS did. But what can you expect from the monkey who continues to mess up the flowers LKS places in front of him, and instead pays unneccessarily attention to discarded stones?
Ramesh Laxman, bentoh and others:
How often does it need to be repeated until it sinks in?:
It has been accepted by the linguists in the field for the last 15 years that there is no ‘one language at the expense of another’. Though it seems like that to the uninitiated layperson, in effect, the opposite is true! There is scientific proof aplenty, that acquiring a further language actually supports the command of the mother tongue. I repeat it, and it has been shown in our country, that a proper language instruction into a further language has actually strengthened the command of BM. Stress the point ‘proper’ here; of course this is not true if language teaching is solely based on rote memorisation of individual words and fill-in-the-blanks.
But this is a fact conveniently disregarded by those politicians, who perceive their electorate in the un-empowered and the racist.
I am actually not so sure, that all levels of PR would want to hear about the fact, that a properly taught English language fosters BM. I am afraid, some groups in PKR and in PAS would rather not hear this; proving that they don’t have the best in mind for the rakyat. Kit Siang, could this be true?
Dear Mr Lim,
No, you can’t make English a compulsory subject if the medium of instruction is in Malay. It will be unfair to the pupils !
English can be encouraged as a non-examinable subject such as it can be used in extra-curricular activities, speeches by the principal and other non-classroom activities.
Those who need to use English or think it is important will find their own ways to master the language.
We must be fair when implementing or proposing language policies. By the same token, You can’t impose the same for Chinese medium schools or the Arabic schools !
Kontiki, he just can’t write in continuous prose. May be he should start debating why writing grammatically correct English is not important. But then, I think it is not just English proficiency alone. It is also thinking skill and ability to put ideas coherently.
Kontiki:
You are so full of yourself. You think you write really good
English ? You think readers follow your line of reasoning ? There is such a thing called “respect”. Furthermore, this is not your blog, so take your intellectual masturbation somewhere else !
Starting from next year form 1, change all medium of instruction back to English. Even if we have to import teacher and fired current one. Let be it!
My english is suck but I over heard an math teacher teaching 7-4 as “seven push 4 equare?” Push? Tolak? OMG!
Politically we need to take this step, nothing about EGO!
I have a POLL about this, make your voice heard here http://shiokguy.blogspot.com/
Shiok Guy
The day they stressed on BAHASA MALAYSIA way back in the seventies, the ENGLISH LANGUAGE was brutally murdered in Malaysia!
Godfather:
What Kontiki said in this blog is true if you go through monsteball’s postings as we all have. Kontiki is merely trying to piece up a clear picture and if you choose not to follow his line of reasoning, that’s your right, but we have our to right. Kontiki does not claim this to be his blog anymore than monsterball does, but why should you deny him his right to comment on monsterball’s comments. You as monsterball’s friend or supporter or whatever has the right to infer he does not “respect” monsterball, but maybe you should ask your friend monsterball whether he shows the same “respect” to others in his non-stop comments. Are you going to say this is monsterball’s right? Are we going to say where is monsterball’s respect?
mkamput Says:
Today at 16: 55.21 (1 hour ago)
Kontiki, he just can’t write in continuous prose. May be he should start debating why writing grammatically correct English is not important. But then, I think it is not just English proficiency alone. It is also thinking skill and ability to put ideas coherently.
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Limkamput, you have hit the nail spot on. But there are others, I mean our monkey’s godfather who thinks I’m shooting my mouth off just because I chose to write the way I was taught in school. You judge for yourself whether I’m full of myself as the godfather says or whether because he’s unhappy I’m not showing his godson or godmonkey whatever the “respect” he thinks I need to just so his godson can continue to spew the kind of stuff which we have been reading all this time.Instead of telling me to take my “intellecutal masturbation” somewhere else, he should do better to advise his godson or god-monkey, whatever, not to shoot off incessantly here as elsewhere, perhaps because unlike others our godfather, seems to like the masturbation his godson is spewing
Calling someone a “monkey” is derogatory. Using words in caps like “HAS DONE THE BIGGEST DISSERVICE TO ANYONE TRYING TO PROMOTE GOOD USAGE OF ENGLISH IN HIS BLOG” is derogatory. At monsterball’s age, you must make allowance for the ramblings, for the occasional disjointed thoughts.
We don’t need supremacists here, nor smart-alecs here. Your English may be better than others, but the lack of good English is NOT the reason why people should ebe discouraged to comment on this blog.
There is no godson, no godmonkey. Only human beings.
Godfather, if calling someone a “monkey” is derogatory, then what have you got to say about monsterball calling others even worse terms like pig, whore, etc, etc..splicing it with expletives. Are you going to say that just because of monsterball’s age, he should be given some allowance too in this, just as the allowance for ramblings, and may I correct your, not occasional, but pervasive disjointed thoughts? There is nothing derogatory at all in using caps like “HAS DONE THE BIGGEST DISSERVICE TO ANYONE TRYING TO PROMOTE GOOD USAGE OF ENGLISH IN HIS BLOG” within the context of the topic posted.
Who is talking about supremacists and smart alecs besides you, even your user name suggest the patronizing and condescending attitude that would associate you more than anyone else with the terms you mentioned above?
Did I say my English was better than others? Is it wrong for not only me but others to point out that the lack of good English on monsterball’s part has made his comments even worse than they currently are?
If you are really that sympathetic towards monsterball, advise him at his age not to provoke others as he’s doing, not only in this blog but other blogs as well, if he doesn’t want to get back what he dishes out to others. There is no special privileges for anyone in cyberspace irrespective of whether he is 70 or 7.
And yes, the human beings you refer to behave as if they are godfathers, godsons or godmonkeys.
Where in this blog has monsterball used expletives and terms like pig and whore ? If anyone wants to use such terms (again their right to do so) they should just go to other blogs such as rockybru which allow the use of profanities.
Kit’s blog is not supposed to be hijacked with profanities or extensive name-calling. Monsterball will be the first to be rebuked by the blog owner if he does so.
“The Cabinet at its next meeting should take the bold and long-overdue decision to make English a compulsory pass subject for SPM, STPM and matriculation courses, supported by the necessary infrastructure to improve the learning and teaching of English in the schools.” (Lim Kit Siang)
YB Kit,
By suggesting the Cabinet to decide on a decision to make English a compulsory pass subject for SPM, STPM and matriculation courses, I think you are not going to gain a lot of supports from many Mandarin-speaking Chinese voters in Malaysia.
Don’t you know that many MCA party leaders (such as Transport Minister cum MCA President Ong Tee Keat and Deputy Minister of Higher Education cum elected MCA Central Committee Member Dr. How Kok Chong) don’t speak or write beautiful English even though they are well-known as the experts in Chinese Philosophies or Chinese Literature? Even the Chief, Dr. Yap, of the popular organization which promotes the Chinese Education in Malaysia, the so-called Dong Jiau Zhong, is too far away from being qualified as the Educationalist who has good command of English, even though he holds a Doctoral Degree in Education from a university located in California.
In view of the fact that DAP’s core supporters are coming from the vast base of Chinese Malaysian voters who can only speak fluently in Mandarin, then there is good reason for you to revamp your proposal a little bit by recommending a requirement of compulsory pass in at least one second language subject, which can be chosen from the options of either the English Language subject or the Chinese Language subject, as a prerequisite for enrolment into the local universities or colleges, whether government-operated or privately-run?
I think Malaysia should not only promote learning English as a second language but the nation should also promote learning Chinese as a second language. This is because the economic prowessness of Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Korea has already made the Chinese Language a very important international language of multilateral trade day after day. Those who know how to read, speak and write Chinese are bound to have good opportunities to reap a good gain from the fast economic growth of the Mandarin-speaking zones of economy!
If LKS has not objected to the use of the term “monkey” why should you, godfather? Has LKS’ blog been hijacked just because I described your godson as a monkey? And oh, if you want to find fault with the term monkey, please do so with Raja Petra. After all it was from his blog that the term came when when monsterball was compared to a monkey who messes up flowers
What has RPK got to do with this blog ? Read my expletive laden comments on Rockybru in response to some pretty racist comments from UMNOputras, but I certainly don’t use such language here. Some blogs are more respectable than others so show a more discerning attitude please.
What you should know, godfather, is that MT and RPK are the most tolerant of freedom of expression to such an extent that your godson or godmonkey, monsterball had a field day in stepping on the toes of countless people and when they protested, he peppered them with expletives galore…he was behaving just like a monkey gone beserk, so much so that eventually RPK had to ban him, yes ban him! and if such a blog like MT can allow even the most unrestrained comments, and still ban monsterball, then you judge for yourself what a monkey he is in blogosphere! If you fail to do that, and instead go all out of your way to defend him, then you are rightly his godfather. Your expletive laden comments on Rockybru and UMNO putra racist comments are none of my concern here, but it shows a holier than thou attitude which you should direct at yourself when telling others to be more discerning.
UMNO have taught his people to keep spreading lies.and maybe many will believe it.
Kontiki wish to confront me….insult me…which I used to laugh at those idiots…and he is still using that line.
Now I will accuse him as a liar. Did Raja Petra said the message is for me? Did he said who is the monkey?
Few years past.why not get him to tell it in his blog? Why keep using that post and said it is me.
Ah yes..if not me…why did he banned me. Is that your argument……log of wood…..kontiki?
Why not ask him the reason?
I explained and need to defend myself again on this?
I refused…to keep repeating the reasons..as I think it is actually telling how unique and important I am….advertised by those UMNO idiots.
o you see.kontiki is an idiot and a liar too.
Can he proof…the monkey with the flower RPK gave.. is me?
And I have defended RPK..hero worshiped him ever since..but of late…he scolded Anwar for supporting Chin Peng back to Malaysia with his reason….5000 Bugis died under communists.
Who the fark cares 5000 of his countrymen died at war…while ten times more were saved by Chin Peng
Ah…go agasist RPK..you also get farked up in his blog. He has a weakness…like a sultan..he can fark others…no one must fark him..and monsterball farked him..so was banned…not because of the monkey post….but I admire his bravery more than his weaknesses…so I hero worshiped him.
But is he no trying to say things to please UMNO…….by scolding Anwar on Chin Peng matter?
Has he turned coat like Rockybru?
Amin Iskandar keep telling me….he hates mixing up with political bloggers.
That is why I am also blogging…to expose those racialist and they have few low class idiots like kontiki …to keep insulting me.
The more they do..the more I feel I am on the right track..to win votes… to vote UMNO out.
kontiki is here to disturb the blog..talking about me.
His message approved..surely defending myself should be approved too.
To Godfather and Kontiki, Let’s put this way. I think we have better things to discuss and debate on than a loose cannon ball. If I talk more on this ball, the moderator will start to moderate my posting. It is not worth it.
Kontiki, be careful, soon he will start using foul word in Hokkien, watch out.
//Where in this blog has monsterball used expletives and terms like pig and whore ?//Godfather
What is wrong with you, he used words worse than that. He used foul words in hokkien.
Stay on topic.
Glad kontiki felt my feet steeping on him too!
Focus on truths……kontiki!!
Did RPK said the monkey with the flower is me?
RPK famous for straight forwards talks…did he said is me?
2 years.”why keep repeating and repeating with no clear proofs? Who are you trying to keep fooling….telling readers not to believe monsterball?
If not….you are one low class guys trying to copying UMNO and MCA…how to tell lies with false accusations.
One kept saying I am a liar with same old grandfather stories..to make sure readers do not believe in my comments.
It is the same group with different nicks…right here in LKS’s
blog….sole purpose..to upset good flow of thoughts from others…or chase people away.
Good LKS let them talk..once awhile..same idiotic nonsense.
Suddenly my fever all gone….self cured..no need to take medicine.
Thanks to LKS…….and I bet those idiots do not know what that mean……..concluding I am carrying LKS balls?!!
Want to talk Mamak slapped by sultan?
Now so quiet in Susan’s blog….and they will come back again…..same story.
They are rewarding now..with new news about my past.. I just wrote…they will now say I am the biggest liar.
I actually want them to know who monsterball is..to be inspired to achieve something in life…and not to use all information to insult me.
But Mahathir is so jealous of Lee Kuan Yew’s success….so these great members of BN must follow their great teacher….mamak.. the devil..the biggest crook and lair.
hahahahahahaha…kontiki..what a nick..for one with no shame nor brain.
OK Godfather..will do.
Out comes supporters for knotiki….knows only what I said…and not why I said that.
Same motive…half truths to use me to go out of topic.
I will ignore.
LIMKAMPUT.. .IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT ME…SAY IT STRAIGHT TO MY FACE..LOUD AND CLEAR.
DO NOT TRY TO INSTIGATE AND INSULT….WITH A ITCHY MOUTH…WANTING TO SUCK SOMETHING…CANNOT GET…AND KEEP INSTIGATING.
I KNOW YOU WELL.
Do not forget…you admit you are the biggest slimebag in this blog.
The monkey is trying to counter what I had said about him with lies and half truths. Go check the archives in Malaysia Today and also google for your name and Simon Wee and you will get MUCH MUCH MORE than what I mentioned here which is just the tip of the iceberg. If all the things about you I said here are the same as previously, it is BECAUSE you are still repeating them. What I said about you is what LKS said about UMNO 30 years ago in Time Bombs of Malaysia. So what have you got to say? except to repeat the tired refrain that Im out to divert attention from the topic of UMNO bashing. And believe me monkey, if there’s anyone who is pro-UMNO, it is you as you still admit that you carry Pak Lah’s balls and all the dirty things he and UMNO did which got you all those heavy blows in MT! By the way, go and console your godfather. He just got whacked as hard as you got in trying to defend the indefensible – YOU.
C’mon guys, we have bigger problems on our hands than to bicker amongst ourselves. We can’t even organise a dinner in peace, under closed doors. This is the oppression we face, day in day out. The fight is out there.
Well said Limkamput! If the holier-than-thou godfather still thinks that his god-monkey or godson is “well behaved” in LKS blog to the extent of not spewing expletives, you have answered him correctly. Now godfather, be dutiful to your godson. Spank him on his buttocks and get the strongest listerine to clean his mouth of all the filth. You will be helping LKS to sanitize his blog from the likes of your godson.
kontiki vs monsterball
This is good & entertaining! Better than the Billy Bob Thornton vs Halle Berry.
Ok, it is enough. As Godfather said, the fight is out there. Kontiki, let it go, Godfather is a sensible guy. I argued and fought with him before, but i always respect his views.
Heroworshipping RPK monsterball? Why are you telling half truths and lies? Why are you afraid to reveal that you even tried bribing him with $300 and some tea just to induce him to show you favour in his blog? How many times have you sucked up to RPK, maybe calling him on the phone several times, to plead with him to delete all those comments against you, but allow yours to be aired? You are just like some nut anywhere, trying to curry favour with someone organizing blogs, etc, just to get favourable treatment? Why? because you have a big chip on your shoulder, afraid to compete with people on equal terms, want to get unfair advantage over others.Rightly RPK spurned you and eventually banned you. You talk so much about fighting. Now let me refresh your memory. Why are you so afraid to accept RPK’s advice to go to the swimming pool and slug it out with all those whom you have offended? Why? Balls shrank at the last minute. That’s what you are monsterball. a fink. a hypocrite. yet want to boast like nobody’s business as if you’re the king of the world.
Everyone knows that english is important. Everyone knows that our English Teacher are a disgrace! Everyone knows that our English Lecturers in Teachers training colleges are jokers! Everyone knows that this is the byproduct of NEP. Everyone knows for a fact that NEP has done more harm than good to this country. Everyone knows that people who have been given one crutch previously demanding to have another one. With one crutch, they have proven to the world that they can stand with one feet. Now they wants to astonish the world with a mirracle that they can stand without legs – a pair of cruthes is enough! Thats NEP.
Sure limkamput. The fight is all out there. As you have seen, and as I am sure godfather and his godson have seen. I have whacked UMNO and MCA as hard as anyone can get, simply because I believe in the PR, Anwar, Lim Kit Siang and others. It is my fervent wish just like all of you to see UMNO bite the dust and all the corrupt UMNO, MCA Gerakan, PPP, MIC leaders bite the dust and follow Mahathir into exile to Zimbabwe when Anwar takes over as PM, which I hope will be soon. But for the likes of monsterball and godfather to say that I am an MCA agent and trying to divert the issue when what I am merely doing is to point out all the absurd things monsterball kept on spewing, aren’t they lying? or aren’t they as LKS always like to say of the BN, bankrupt of arguments when they can’t refute sound arguments?
kontiki & monsterball – im getting irritated by your show! Wouldnt it be good if you take your fight elsewhere. Perhaps you can exchange phone numbers and fight over the phone. Better still, exchange your addresses, meet up and settle this once and for all.
Both talks about respect and my conclusion is, both of you are hypocrites. Both of you don’t respect the rest of us who are participating in this exchange of thoughts. This is LKS’s blog not your fighting ring. Choo Choo Choo.. go away!!
oh one more thing monsterball. Bossa Roo has pointed out in another thread that you are lying when you said the Johor sultan slapped Mahathir 30 years ago. Bossa said that such an earth shattering incident would have leaked out to the people sooner or later even if the MSM did not report it. If the sultan did really slap mahathir, you think mahathir would simply keep quiet? Mahathir would have fixed him up a long time ago just as he fixed up all those who offended him as everyone knows Mahathir is vindictive. In the absence of evidence on your part, I will believe Bossa that you are lying.
I heard that Sultan Johor while asking this assitance to call Mahathir into his office used this word ” panggil keling tu masuk ”
This is what I heard. Not sure of its authenticity though
Radiohead….You are half right. Please check up.. who started it first.
Do you also deprive a man…defending himself?
If you are irritated…you asked for it. Had you help to stop kontiki….it trully shows you respect LKS blog…and will surely my mouth . But you apply MYOB and start advising?
In blogging….you are faceless and nameless..and yet tell us to show our faces?
As for me…my face and address are all exposed….don’t you know that?
monsterball Says:
Today at 21: 36.10 (1 hour ago)
That is why I am also blogging…to expose those racialist and they have few low class idiots like kontiki …to keep insulting me.
The more they do..the more I feel I am on the right track..to win votes… to vote UMNO out.
++++++
Where is your blog? I’m sure all of us would be interested to comment on the threads you post….and we will see who is the idiot, you or me? I really can’t wait for you to put your blog up so that you can say all the absurd things you want about yourself, all the good things about yourself…and not take up valuable bandwith in LKS or other blogs and deprive others of the chance of reading other comments. Then me and 1000 of your other “good friends” in cyberspace will not bother to go access other blogs because to say all the things we are saying about you here.
Whether you are faceless or faced all over or faced off is non of my concern. I have tried very hard to MYOB but the irritation you created together with kontiki made my ass itchy and needed to find a rough spot to scratch. Since you are faced all over, can I have your face to ease my itchy spot?
Im sorry Mr. Lim Kit Siang. Didn’t mean to be rude in your blog!
This monsterball guy needs to be removed. People say he is old and we need respect that. I agree. But he is senile and acting childishly to the extend of irritating other visitors to your blog.
Science has confirmed that people as they grow older they will become irrational and childish. Their judgment and mental ability will be eqiuvalent to a 5 year old. Mosterball is a living fact.
Mr. Monsterball, I`ll buy you teddy bear tomorrow – be a good boy and go to sleep please.
WOW!! One appeared so refine….now uses same old language. It is the same old team…playing the same old song…dressing up in different costumes.
Senile…..childish…and the message is exactly the same from Susan’s Blog….showing he is a some sort of a doctor too.
hi Radiohead…bring out the good news with your radio.
What a liar and idiot you are…calling me senile and childish…….hahahahahahahaha!!
Waaa….buy me a teddy bear??
You go to sleep after having your toddy from Brickfields.
Do not brag and talk big.
Can you afford to but a teddy bear worth… Rm100,000.00 each?
Talk big….know next to nothing.
Who is next in your disguises??
Maybe a radio with two heads?
OK…I must take godfather’s advise.
Got better things to do…after a very loving good late lunch given by children…but no teddy bear presents… for father’s day….only lots of cigars.
OK….GOODNIGHT TO ALL MY FRIENDS AND GO TO HELL WITH YOU BUNCH OF UMNO MIC AND MCA IDIOTS!!
limkamput Says:
Today at 23: 10.50 (33 minutes ago)
“Dumb, don’t just talk, act and lead and I will bow and eat humble pie and forever hold my piece.”
this is as bad as it could with bad English.
this bloke wants to do both eat and pee at the same time. that is not all. he wants to have his piece in his hand wherever he goes. how much worse could it get?
Radiohead, why buy a liar a teddy bear even if he has gone senile? What you should do is to flush his face down the toilet bowl, all the more when he continues to lie about his children when his good friend Simon pointed out that all he had was an illegal Indon concubine as a companion. He is literally sitting on pins when we exposed his skeletons one by one, very much in the same way Kit Siang described Dr Tan Tiong Hong sounding impatient as he was hauled over the coals during the DAP’s Raub by-election campaign against the MCA way back in 1983!
One can either encourage students to obtain a pass in English or penalise them for failing. But since English has ceased to be the medium of instruction even in secondary school, they should not be deprived of the certificate for not obtaining a pass for a second language. To promote the use of English, more weight might be given to it in the award of scholarship or university admission.
Instead of making a pass in English a condition for SPM certificate the teachers of English language should be made to obtain a certificate of proficiency for the subject. Refreshers courses should be organized for those teachers until they have passed the required examinations. As incentive, those with the certificate could be given accelerated increment such as an increment for every ten months instead of a year.
May 13 was said to be because of economic disparity between the races, but English language was the first casualty, and the standard of education in the country has gone downhill ever since. If the government intends to bring back English as it was used in pre-1969 days, allow the mission schools to revert to what they did in the past. Give them the support that they are receiving and when the standard one students complete the university education 15 years hence English would have been revived to the past in Malaysia.
Parliament allowed the use of English until nationalism took over. The return of English to Parliament would also encourage students to learn the language.
Tiger Woods played lousy in US Open..open bog and see what …I found to read!
Lim Kit Siang spent his whole life fighting racialists and democracy for Malaysians.
So simple for LKS to decide who to ban.
I have blog owners…like Sheih put out a post saying I a not a racialist…..commentators agreed.
For LKS to allow racialists in his blog…shows how democratic he is.
Ah yes…my english is one of the reason to ban me too.
Lets see…senile…lousy english…..liar….banned by RPK.why not LKS?……but holy cow….no racialist accusations?
Real smart low class racialists asses….trying to fool LKS too!!
Last resort..suggest LKS to ban all..to give peace to others. They don’t mind……correct?
You may have made ekin disappointed…..but NEVER MONTERBALL!!
I am simply largely that all your lives put together…self made..and enjoying farking you clowns.
Who are the racialists in this blog…tell me quick!!
All are Malaysians..but racialists should be banned….NO AGREE?
hahahahahaha…That block of wood…..kontiki is really something.
I simply have no words to respond to his comment.
hi idiot…I have 3 ex wives…5 children and 8 grandchildren …with one Indon soul maid…I love sooooo much..got it?
Why do you keep proving you got a bloghead?
Everyone knows…a young fut like you gets thrill to talk to monsterball…your hero?…..hahahahahahahaha
Your friends are not like you….very jealous..just like mamak.
You irritate me to talk…they come out to support you…but they are actually two….a self confessed biggest slimebag …self decorated MCA professor…with one can really act too.
Senile err!!….If you have an elephant brain like mine …so knowledgeable…so adorable….so funny…so cute even at this old age….why there is room for one more soul mate la.
Each gave me 200 cigars!!…total 1000 sticks costing RM12,000!!
All gave me loving kisses…now I get things…and no need to give any to them..so said my children.
hi you buggers….got great balls of fire to produce lovely children or not?
Come on….congrats LKS for having such a wonderful son.
Be a sport..on Father’s Day!!
I am jealous too…..non of my son can touch LEG….hahahahahahaha
WHAT DO YOU IDIOTS KNOW ABOUT LIFE?
Do away the vernacular school let have English national school….
Dear YAB Mr. Lim,
I think UMNO are pro-English.
I think your message should be relayed to your partner in Pakatan Rakyat i.e. PAS and Chinese educationists. They are the ones who are anti-English. Check Harakah website.
Before anything can be done on the drastic drop of the command of English, the government must find effective ways to encourage the reading habit not only among students but the public as well. Without a love of reading, the talk of improving one’s English proficiency will come to naught, like before. Through reading lots of English books, students can understand, and thus learn grammar and vocabulary more easily. Read, read and read… There is no short cut to it …