Saturday, July 11, 2009

PPSMI: Dr Mahathir's poll gets more votes


At the time of writing this morning, the poll on Tun Dr Mahathir's blog stands at almost 54,000 votes and 85% said No to the reversion to BM for Maths and Science.

Be heard and go to his blog to express your position here.

One nervous young official at the DPM's office was frantically calling few bloggers to seek for support. When these bloggers refused, they were labelled as taksub pemimpin and assummed are void of intellect to have any basis to support PPSMI.

He goes to the point of claiming a non support for the reversion to pre-PPSMI policy means anti-Government. Nasty words was expressed of certain respectable person in his SMS and it is now spreading like fire.

For not a distance moment, he can be seen at every other function attended by the person he demonise. Wa ... bila santan diambil, serpah dibuang or some Malay idiom like that.

That is a truly childish and immature words and act. Do grow up. Learn to respect an individual's stance on a specific issue. He better behave appropriately and stop being nasty.

Taking a position on PPSMI has got nothing to do with support or non support of Government. These people are UMNO activist and loyal BN voters. They are anti-Government?

My PAS blogger friend, Bakaq the Penarik Beca support PPSMI? PAS and PKR are behind Gerakan Menentang PPSMI. Is he anti-PAS or Pakatan Rakyat? This would be a convenient case for the young official to label him as anti Government. Do you call him pro-Government when PPSMI was a Government policy?

My good friend and late night kawan sembang is in Tan Sri Muhyiddin's inner circle. He has Muhyiddin's ear and he agree with PPSMI. Does that make him disloyal to his boss or friend, Muhyddin?

I bet with everything I've got that my good friend and fellow Johorean is still an UMNO man. I believe he will not mind maintain "the Museum", if UMNO lose next election. I said IF!

Wake up and learn boy!

Keep discussion of issues as issues. It should not be taken out of context and politicise. Let PKR and PAS do that. Unfortunately, this issue which is educational but is being turned political.

Simply because the pejuang bahasa immerse themselves in politics by leveraging on PAS and PKR. With UMNO taking a populist direction with liberal policy announcement shoved to the Malay throats to appease the vocal non Malay voters, PPSMI issue could be dumped to balance and revive the Malay voters.

My stance is somewhere caught from pragmatism and nationalism. I have no problem taking any side on the issue. The question is what do we want? What do the nation need? I want to know what the people and nation want.

One Tan Sri I met recently said, for selfish reason, he wanted PPSMI. But he is willing to secede to the new Government position for national integration sake. It means he will make his own effort for his children and now grandchildren to achieve English proficiency.

I am in a similar position with Tan Sri. To some extent, I hate to deal with this issue. It's damn if I do and damn if I don't.

I have personally heard Tun Dr Mahathir arguing the issue with his strong grasp of logic. And I've heard Prof Awang Sariyan speaking convincingly. I was trying to seek a private time with him but he already left for Beijing.

I went to English stream school and benefited from it. To be like a pejuang bahasa, it is just not me. I will not repeat my earlier point of arguments on PPSMI (read here), which is more disappointment with the pejuang bahasa.

The problem with pejuang bahasa is that they are too romantic and lost in their dream world of sajak and syair. Perhaps I should awake them.

They argued that Bahasa Melayu should be the National Language and it is the language of communication of the region. What comes with their position on PPSMI is the vernacular schools reverting to vernacular language?

Then the issue is why not Maths and Science in Iban, Kadazan, Senoi, Bajau, etc. These languages are indigenous languages of Malaysia and not Chinese and Tamil.

We should ask the pejuang bahasa what have they done to strengthen the language in technical subject like Maths and Sciences? It's minimal and behind. I don't see them capable of being effective in advancing Bahasa Melayu in academic subjets because they are not science or whatever technical subject students and right brain minded. Most are pathetically slow moving pencil pushers orang gomen.

They argued that students performance are affected by PPSMI. The feedback from some teachers are that the same children have problems in all subjects. THey felt it is not the problem with PPSMI but the children.

I can understand why Muhyiddin is rolling it out in 2012. We have time to revise it and cool the political heat. Hopefully sensible head would prevail. It seems the GMP is planning a major demonstration on August 1st to call for immediate change. This will not make the issue find a resolution.

Let say I support reverting back to Malay, how is the program to enhance English? If I understand it correctly, the English they taught is similar to thew Communication English 122 paper I used to sit. How about enhancing English 121 again? Where will English be applied to enhance proficiency?

I was a science student and have a science degree. Although most students struggle with Maths and Sciences, it was quite a breeze for me.

But later in life, I wished I had the oppurtunity in school to learn Shakespeare and Malay Hikayat like Merong Mahawangsa. Malaysians should have a balance educational experiance.

Not only, we have a real grasp of language in English and Bahasa Melayu by learning these classics, we will have scientist and managers with soul and poets with heads.

To end it, why not have a people's referendum on this issue? I know it is crazy. Perhaps, we can see if this nation has a soul and/or a head?

24 comments:

eddy said...

Bro, good point, lets have final closure on this sorry mess in our education system, let the people decide lets have a referundum to decide on the PPMSI.

Semerah Padi said...

Saudara,

Maakan saya kerana lari tajuk. Tapi ingin menyatakan komen saya yang saya juga muatkan di laman citra yang lain. Saya rasa komen ini ada juga relevannya dengan artikel Saudara yang sebelum ini dalam membincang nasib anak bangsa. Izinkan saya.

"NEGARA INI NEGARA BERDAULAT"

Semerah Padi.

_________________

Saudara,

Saya terasa kerdil untuk berbuat apa-apa mengenai isu yang telah saudara utarakan. Saya hanya mampu bersuara untuk mengucapkan terima kasih kerana berkongsi dengan kami. Saya bukan pakar untuk berhujah dengan “pakar-pakar” yang terpilih itu, apabila lagi dengan Perdana Menteri sendiri.

Mungkin saya cuma boleh bersuara begini saja:-

Kepada Kerajaan Malaysia yang diketuai oleh Perdana Menteri, saya rayu agar baliklah semula ke perkara pokok kerana Malaysia adalah di dalam kemelut yang tidak jelas hujung pangkalnya ketika ini. Pokok pangkalnya adalah (bagi saya):-

1. Rukun Negara

2. Perlembagaan Persekutuan

3. Sejarah Malaysia yang asalnya Tanah Melayu

4. Orang Melayu – majoriti penduduk di Semenanjung

5. Pribumi – majoriti penduduk di Sabah & Sarawak.

Saya tidak rasa perkara-perkara asas di atas di ambil peduli oleh kerajaan kerana:-

1. Lihatlah apa jadinya dengan Bahasa Kebangsaan Malaysia

2. Lihatlah bagaimana penduduk majoriti dilayan dibandingkan dengan yang minoriti

3. Lihatlah bagaimana orang Melayu bila hendak bersuara sedikit

4. Lihatlah siapa-siapa yang dok di atas “kepuk padi”. Apa jadi dengan “pelahap-pelahap rakus” yang “memukul habis” kekayaan negara tanpa menghiraukan nasib bangsa dan negara demi ketamakan masing-masing?

Apa kerajaan masih membuta tuli lagi? Melentur buluh biarlah dari rebungnya. Tapi Menteri Pelajaran menolak mentah-mentah usaha-usaha pembentukan negara dan anak bangsa ini yang hendak diterapkan melalui KEMPEN SATU SEKOLAH UNTUK SEMUA yang lebih bercirikan negara Malaysia yang sejati.

Tolonglah sampaikan luahan ini kepada yang berkenaan.

“Bumi ini Bumi TANAH MELAYU”

Semerah Padi

Anonymous said...

Daee .. semua orang bertenang-lah! Mengapa buat bising tentang isu yang sebenarnya bukan "isu"?!

So what if the teaching of Maths and Science reverts back to using Bahasa Melayu and other vernacular languages. What's the big fuss? The children are still getting educated aren't they?

If parents are concerned that their children may not acquire a competent command of the English language, these parents can always send their children for remedial tuition to upgrade their offsprings' mastery of the language.

I on my part sacrifice a few hours a week of my time giving the neighbourhood kids free tuition in English. I think of it as my contribution to "national service". You people out there, if you feel so strongly about the matter, why not do something similar. It isn't that difficult, nor does it require one to be in the teaching profession in order to do so. Just recall what your teacher did when you were in school and then do the same. With some common sense that should work satisfactorily.

JUST VIEW said...

Does the BN government dare to hold
a referendum on this issue?
I'm not too sure.

antubiul said...

Pejuang bahasa adalah wayang kulit negara. Mereka menperjuangan kulit tapi tertingal isi nya.
Bagai anjing menyalak bulan malang nya bulan tak jatuh jatuh juga. Itu lah apa yang di perjaungkan oleh GMP dan para chauvanist. Bagi saya 'LANTAK LAH' saya tak perlu risau pasal generasi akan datang sebab saya masih bujang dan mungkin akan bujang selama lama nya. Yang empunya anak anak buka lah mata anda dan jangan jadi katak bawah tempurung. Lihat lah dunia diatas tempurung.

Anonymous said...

Voice

Kalau begitu jadinya dan telatah penguasa yang dikatakan oleh Voice serta dengan Polls yang dikendalikan oleh Dr M (yang lebih Arif dari PM dan DPM) maka tak ada gunanya diadakan KPI.
Diharap jangan pula rakyat menuduh kerajaan ini kerajaan KBT. Kalau kita tak mau pandang atau dengar yang sebenarnya kita akan di tuduh Buta dan Tuli.




Joe Black

MNB said...

Well said The Voice.

I'm happy to see the poll's result and I hope the government will take note of it. It's true that labelling those who support PPSMI as anti-govt are childish and immature act. Like TDM we just expressing our thoughts in the correct way instead of going to the street like some fools and creates all sort of trouble. Salam...

Anonymous said...

MACAM BAGUS JE SI FERIZ OMAR TUUU..

hahahah dia ingat kita tak tahu dia sapa...

kaki bodek nombor satu... (cuma kalau kena dgn matlamat dia la)

vinnan said...

Thanks to UMNO' short-sighted racist thinking, non-Malay kids will forever maintain a multi-lingual edge over Malay kids in general. The world of the government servants and GLCs are already unable to absorb all the mono-lingual dolts from the public universities not that it is the fault of the Malays here. What is UMNO going to do with these perpetually increasing unemployed graduates. Askar Wataniah, anyone/
Zig-zagging educational policies are a surefire way to screw up the future of our children. Anyone who is/was in the educational field can tell you this. The only one who does not seem to know this is Najis who pretends he knows how to be a PM,

The decision to implement and eventually discontinue the PPSMI is based on UMNO Dulu, Kini dan Selamanya Ketuanan Shit. How does it feel to see UMNO f['[ing up the future of Malay kids again. UMNO is nothing but a bunch of irresponsible b;';[='. By the way if you UMNO clowns think I am happy to see Malays suffer, you people are sadly mistaken. I too have Malay friends and I truly pity their kids.

Alizul said...

Nobisha is also conducting a poll on this decision at his blog. The latest figures are 52% NO, 47% YES. This means 52% are against the decision so far. Although the results are much closer than those of Tun Mahathir's poll, they still show that more people prefer English.

The government seems to stand firm on its decision, while bloggers who support the decision are celebrating and showering praises on our leaders. But has the government ever conducted such a poll, through, for example, the blogs of our leaders or leaders of component parties? Not that I know of. There was a call for a referendum by a few bloggers before but the government remained silent. Wouldn't such a poll or referendum be far more reflective of the people's voice? It would no doubt be costly, but since the issue affects the future of our children, the benefits would definitely outweigh the cost.

In addition, if the decision to scrap PPSMI was politically motivated, will it provides a 100% guarantee that the anti-government and on-the-fence voters will swing their votes back to BN? What if the pro-PPMSI voters swing their votes to the opposition or choose not to vote at all? In the end, where do we place the rakyat - we and our future generations? What is the meaning of "1Malaysia = Rakyat Didahulukan", other than being a mere, empty slogan?

You are right A Voice, taking a position on PPSMI has got nothing to do with support or non-support of the government. We should take it on a issue-to-issue basis. I've been pro-government since I was in school but that does not mean I should not criticise issues that are deserving of criticism. Before the advent of internet, there was little or no avenues to air our grievances. Now we do. And the government should regard us - bloggers and internet-savvy citizens - not as a liability but as assets that have the capability to contribute to the nation.

lowincomrdude said...

Yes. This isn't about politics but its about educating our young ones...

Anonymous said...

Voiceyyyyyyyyy,

On the eve of Najib's 100th days in office, I wailed (meratapi) in sorrow upon hearing that next generation malays will be denied to learn science and mathematics in english at Sekolah Kebangsaan. What???? closed door policy on next generation malay ability to rapidly acquired scientific knowledge. Ada udang disebalik batu kah...Is the ruling elites afraid of the growth of knowledgeable middle class malays? I equate the the abolishing of the PPSMI to that of the Manchus Chings Dynasty implemantation of the China Closed door policy during China's 17th century.

Nik Rahmah

Anonymous said...

SSS + PPSMI = 1Malaysia

Anonymous said...

vinnan - the pseudo intellect cum psychotic

the world superpower americans are mostly monolinguals

their economy is in shambles

their financial situation is full of corruption

they lead in carbon prints

UMNO is patriotic (not racist)

you are

friendly advice - go seek a shrink and be happy ever after

whether you like it or not, the Malays will reclaim their birthright which is this TANAH MELAYU

read Semerah Padi ...

Anonymous said...

Vinnan

Can't you ever discuss anything specifically, maturely without being rhetorical, insulting and provoking?

aku punya pendirian said...

poll tersebut tak mencerminkan keseluruhan malaysia.

Anonymous said...

Dear Voice,

Well there are some parts of this posting, I do feel quite uncomfortable about. If this gentleman had sent an SMS, whatever the contents, it should not be forwarded to all and sundry. People sometimes speak out of turn due to their sheer frustration. I do hope people do give him the benefit of doubt, and for the said individual concerned, perhaps he should exercise greater discretion in choosing his friends / contacts.

Now to the main event regarding this whole PPSMI issue.

I am with the Government on this one, a hundred percent. I have posted a great deal on why PPSMI should be abolished, taking into account the plight of the poor and marginalized rural students over here: Adik Shamshyul's plight

I see that the Pro PPSMI faction have offered not a single fact to back up their argument. In what way has the performance of students in Science and Maths improved since the introduction of PPSMI? In every single study, the performance has deteriorated. That's a fact. What more do we want.

And then the pro PPSMI faction say, oh we should improve the implementation. In what way? Are they saying that they are much better than the Education Ministry? They have more experience in this issue? Do they not know, that we are overnight changing the way we are supposed to teach millions of children without even checking to see whether we can change the way thousands of teachers teach.

I am quite surprised with your stand on this. I always took it for granted that when issues that impinge on our culture and our sovereignty, you would support the more stringent intepretation. Not to say, that I would necessarily agree, but at least I know, this point has some basis. But alas, as the poor young official found out, sometimes it could be a case of more smoke and mirrors.

Anonymous said...

Wenger J. Khairy,

Thereis nothing to be proud of about Malay Civilisation since it contribute nothing to the advancement of science. Majority of the malays have been in the clutches of peasantry for too long already. Science and technology will free the malays from the clutches of peasantry. Pencinta sastera of course love peasantry, because malay arts and culture revolves around malay peasantry. Young malays should be exposed to science from the early age...the ripe moment to trigger inquisitive minds. The age of reasons are dawning upon the malays in this millenium when PPSMI was implemented in 2003. When Muhyiddin and Puad announced the abolishment of PPSMI.The malays are denied again to free themselves from the clutches of peasantry. Well they did that just to appease the lust of the pencinta sastera melayu. Thus, by forbidding the malay to learn science and mathematics in english will always reminds them that they are still peasant (jangan lupa daratan).

Nik Rahimah.

Alizul said...

Now Utusan Malaysia has entered into the picture. Here's the poll results (at this time of writing) of the three sites:

Utusan Malaysia:
Yes - 8,429 votes (72.0%)
No - 3,069 votes (26.2%)
Don't Care (Tak Kisah) - 203 (1.7%)
Total Votes - 11,701

Tun Mahathir's Blog:
Yes - 10,577 votes (14%)
No - 64,230 votes (86%)
Total Votes - 74,807

Nobisha's Blog:
Yes - 176 votes (48%)
No - 194 votes (52%)
Total Votes - 370

I'm tempted to total up the votes of all three sites but they may not reflect the true voting patterns - not knowing the voters' composition (low-income, middle-income, etc), duplication of votes (some may have voted in more than one sites), etc. etc. But bearing in mind these limitations, let's do it anyway

Total for all sites:
Yes - 19,182 votes (22%)
No - 67,493 votes (78%)
Don't Care - N/A
Total Votes - 86,878

You can draw your own conclusion. Will it end the polemics? I doubt it. Arguments for and against the poll results will persist, e.g. pro-government stance of Utusan, pro-Mahathir bias in Tun's blog poll, inadequate sample size in Nobisha's poll, etc. For sure, Utusan's headline will scream "YES to scrapping PPSMI" when the polls end.

How do we end the polemics and find a closure. Referendum? Many bloggers have already suggested this. But will the government be willing to do it? Your guess is as good as mine. Our reasoning is simple: the education and future of our children is at stake. And if bloggers who are concerned about the issue can unite and collectively pressure the government, then who knows...?

As blogger Mind No Evil puts it forcefully, we are "messing up our future generation".

Anonymous said...

I support Vinnan's sentiment. I'm Malay. I'm educated overseas. I'm working in a GLC. I'm disappointed with the monoligualism.


:(


I'm not too worried though. I'm convinced the Malay language will be antiquated in a generation's time. You can't stop kids from watching MTV. You can't stop kids from idolising Western stars. You certainly can't stop the Internet.

Lastly, you can't stop the "per-mutasi" of the language. LOL!

Anonymous said...

wenger has no stand whatsoever except parroting KJ's words.

as adik shamsyul's story is a fiction (KJ never made that speech), the arguments he wrote in that articles are superfluous.

A Voice said...

Wenger

Nice of you to defend that officer.

Unfortunately, that chap hates KJ and Tingkat 4.

I am just teaching him a basic of Internet democrasy. Don't fuckin' impose your will on Bloggers.

Wonder if you will react the way you react agst Tony F now that you know he hates KJ.

CHAIRMAN KAGA said...

FRIEND CAM BECOME ENEMY,
ENEMY CAN BECOME FRIEND,
MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA
HEHEHEHEHEHEHHEHE

tooth-tooth said...

susah2 sangat isu PPSMI tu, dwibahsa kan jer la tak pun multi lingual. hehehe

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