Soon, Students Must Pass Their English Exams To Graduate From Public Universities
A new policy to be implemented will soon see English as a compulsory passing subject in Malaysian public universities.
By Mei Mei Chu — 03 Sep 2014, 01:01 PM — Updated about 10 years ago
English Will Soon Be Made A Compulsory Passing Subject At Malaysia's Public Universities
A new policy is on the card to make English a compulsory subject, besides Bahasa Melayu, for students to pass at Malaysia's public universities.
Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin Announced The Upcoming Policy After Discussing It With The Prime Minister
Big step: Muhyiddin (third from left) and Mustapha (third from right) displaying the word puzzle arranged by trainees at the launch of the Cyberjaya Graduate Employability Enabler 2 programme in Cyberjaya.
Image via The StarMuhyiddin, who is also Education Minister, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak approved the new policy at a meeting last week.
thestar.com.myHe has not said when this will be implemented but was expected to address the matter at length soon.
thestar.com.my"The Basic Knowledge Is Not Enough For Graduates If They Don't Have The Ability To Communicate And Write In English," Says Muhyiddin Yassin.
"The basic knowledge is not enough for graduates if they don't have the ability to communicate and write in English.
themalaysianinsider.com
"We would like universities to ensure that every student undergo training in English and they not only pass (the subject) but are able to communicate effectively as well," he said at the launch of the Cyberjaya Graduate Employability Enabler 2 programme here.
He Said That A Graduate's Employability Is All About The Confidence To Communicate In English
Tan Sri Muhyiddin, who is also Education Minister, said on Tuesday a graduate's employability "is all about the confidence to communicate in English". "Multi-national companies don't just want qualified (graduates) but they want ambassadors who have the ability to communicate," said Mr Muhyiddin.
"Companies will have a certain benchmark. They want people who are not only qualified, but people who will be able to be the ambassador, who can communicate to the rest of the world and one of the important requirements is the ability to communicate in English," he said.
themalaysianinsider.com
Parents And Language Experts Alike Lauded The Policy But Are Concerned Over How It Would Be Implemented
Several language experts and parents welcomed the move but were concerned over how the policy would be implemented and whether it would burden the students. But all generally agreed that the policy was a good initiative and a necessary one if graduates and the nation were to benefit in the long run.
thestar.com.myFor Now, The Three Compulsory Passing Subjects As Stipulated By The Malaysian Qualifications Agency Are Bahasa Malaysia, Malaysian Studies And Islamic/Moral Studies
At present, students enrolled in a tertiary education institution must pass in three subjects as stipulated by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency. The subjects are Bahasa Malaysia, Malaysian Studies and Islamic Studies for Muslim students or Moral Studies for non-Muslims.
thestar.com.myAn exemption for Bahasa Malaysia may be granted to students who obtained a credit or above in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia or a pass at the Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia level.
thestar.com.my