IT is a touchy subject and one that probably crops up only in Malaysia. Where else could the teaching of Maths and Science in schools possibly develop into an issue with political and racial implications?

Malay and Chinese educationist groups are unhappy with the use of English to teach these subjects, saying it has not helped improve English among our students.

Malay nationalists and politicians argue that rural Malay students are suffering because they cannot understand the language.

Chinese educationists, particularly the Dong Jiao Zong (DJZ), have threatened to stage a nationwide protest against the continued use of English.

The DJZ, which comprises the Dong Zong (United Chinese School Committees Association) and the Jiao Zong (United Chinese School Teachers Association) from our 1,200 Chinese primary schools, has stood firm that the Government should revert to using mother tongue languages in teaching Maths and Science.

The protest was originally made by Jiao Zong president Ong Chiaw Chuan but the group’s officials have since reportedly distanced themselves from the threat.

Caught in the middle is Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, who will be holding a fifth round of meetings with the DJZ.

He has the Umno party elections ahead of him, and he has to balance the interest of the Chinese-based parties in Barisan Nasional and the future of our Malaysian students.

No one can deny that the teaching of Maths and Science, especially in Chinese, has been effective. These schools have produced the best students in these subjects because of the teaching method which relies on the language.

But Hishammuddin cannot adopt different rules for different schools or he will be accused of practising double-standards.

The decision to use English to teach these two subjects – the brainchild of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in his last years in office – has been decisive, and much emotion has been generated by it.

Emeritus Prof Tan Sri Dr Khoo Kay Kim found himself on the firing line following his statement that non-Malays needed to compromise and give up Chinese or Tamil education in favour of a single-school education system.

MCA information and communications chief Lee Wei Keat said the MCA was offended, saying Khoo’s stand revealed his gross misconception of history and the foundation of vernacular schools in the country.

Dr Khoo is entitled to his views but he certainly has little inclination of the Chinese community’s pulse. In fact, most times he is out of touch. Prof, read the Federal Constitution, please.

Asking the non-Malays to give up their schools is unconstitutional and would be unacceptable.

But what is missing from the whole debate is this – the standard of English among our students has gone to the dogs. So, too, has that of our school teachers and university lecturers.

While Chinese and Malay groups fight over the issue, the reality is that our children continue to suffer on a massive scale.

It has affected children of all races but the rural Malays would suffer the most from the Government’s decision to abandon the use of English as a medium of instruction.

Go to any shopping complexes now and you will find young Chinese salespersons who cannot speak anything else except Cantonese or Mandarin.

We have a situation where schools have become mono-ethnic by design or simply by circumstances. National schools are predominantly Malay because non-Malays think they are too religious while in Chinese primary schools, it’s almost entirely Chinese because the perception is that the teaching standards and discipline are much better.

So, we have the young Malays and Chinese going back to their respective homes speaking their mother tongue, watching Malay or Chinese channels on TV and having only friends of their own races.

We dream of the days when there were English medium schools where real friends, not functional friends, of all races were made.

The standard of English was high and all you needed were five As in the MCE, not 16 or 17As in the SPM, to prove your capability.

Chinese schools then paled when compared to English schools. The Han Chiang High School in the 1970s had to depend on Thai and Indonesian students to survive and was almost on the verge of shutting down because of falling attendance.

Parents, especially Chinese, sent their children to English schools because they had good teachers and, of course, it helped that England was a powerhouse then. It had nothing to do with history or heritage.

But now, many English-educated Chinese parents are sending their children to Chinese primary schools because they want their children to acquire the ability to speak and write Chinese. They do this because of the emergence of China as the economic superpower.

You can be a lawyer, banker, businessman or journalist but if you cannot speak Mandarin, you would experience more difficulties in China.

But having said that, don’t forget that Chinese nationals are learning English the American way, not our flat intonation ala Malaysian or Singaporean English, which the former think is bad English.

Malaysians who are better off are sending their children to private and international schools where English is used. At college level, they go to private universities, locally or overseas.

So what about our graduates in local universities who are deprived of these opportunities? We can argue until the cows come home about nationalism, culture, race and heritage but the reality is that without English language skills, they are not marketable.

They will pay the price for the fallacies of our selfish and narrow-minded politicians, nationalists and educationists who, for all their bravado, may even be sending their children to private and international schools.

IT has to be the most sensible statement of the week by a politician as Malaysians cringed with embarrassment at the ludicrous remarks made by our legislators.

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak told Malaysians there was no time for politicking but to focus on overcoming the economic challenges ahead and to create opportunities for the people.

The Deputy Prime Minister said the general election was over and “this is the time when we, as a nation, must come together and unite to face the grave external economic challenges”.

Opening the Malaysian Capital Market Summit organised by the Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (Asli) last week, he echoed what most Malaysians are saying but we hope the politicians got his message. The impression among the people, and by that we mean the man on the street, is that ambitious and selfish politicians are too busy playing communal heroes ahead of the party polls.

Unfortunately, the perception is that some of these politicians belong to his own party – Umno. Ordinary people are too busy trying to feed their families and pay off their household bills.

We don’t have time to indulge in politicking because we have work to do, unlike politicians who can find time and afford to criss-cross the country to garner votes.

They are shooting themselves in the foot and losing more votes for the Barisan Nasional with their sometimes ill-conceived statements, and we are worried that this silly season will drag on until March.

This does not come as a surprise. It is the job of politicians to be involved in politicking although many claim they want to serve the rakyat and are not politicking. But the Pakatan Rakyat politicians are just as guilty. Changing road signs should hardly be a priority for a state government that’s hardly eight months old.

With factories cutting production and retrenchments in the pipeline, the last thing on the Penang state government’s mind should be changing these signs, which won’t help increase tourist arrivals for sure.

But it did create a storm in a tea cup, which is a good political distraction. Whatever the merits of putting additional languages, which is actually a harmless exercise, the point still remains if it would help us solve our economic problems. Investors in the region are concerned, if not alarmed, at our seeming lack of concern in dealing with the global economic issues, which would be felt even more in months to come.

The perception is that except for a few senior leaders like Najib, there is a lack of interest among our MPs. How many of them have taken the trouble to speak about it? Instead, they grab media headlines by acting dumb and dumber. It has come to a point where some have to be offensive and foul-mouthed in the Dewan Rakyat to get national attention.

Now, that’s serious politicking – and a complete waste of taxpayers’ money. Najib is right in saying that Malaysians must unite. Politi­cians and vernacular newspapers, especially, should not be raising issues that disunite the nation.

While some of the Rulers have become more progressive in their statements, some politicians, on the other hand, have become more insular and backward, unable to grasp the changing political landscape.

They have become political dinosaurs, whipping up racial issues when there is none and creating insecurity among the people. Najib, as the Prime Minister-in-waiting, has pressed the right buttons so far. He has come out as a fair-minded person who speaks for all Malaysians and has handled a few recent controversies by dousing the fire quickly.

He has been careful in dealing with the perception of people supposedly close to him, as the media speculates on the membership of his inner circle. Names like Rohana Mahmood and Omar Mustapha Ong have cropped up but these talented people have actually moved on.

Mustapha was a special officer to Najib and remains in touch with the office, helping out in certain areas, while Rohana has more interest in the corporate sector now. In short, she is not a member of the elite club.

Najib has kept tight his choice of advisers around him, preferring not to favour anyone and is certainly upset, if not angry, with people who use his name as well as that of his family members.

There will be businessmen and political analysts who claim to be close to Najib or are perceived to be so but they need not necessarily be beneficiaries of his administration.

Malaysians will back him if he can lead us through the rough economic challenges ahead. But please crack your whip on recalcitrant politicians who do not give second thoughts to using the race card to advance their political careers.

ON THE BEAT
By WONG CHUN WAI

WE are just a week away from December and usually by now, I would have received a few diaries and calendars. But not this year.

I have only one diary and my colleagues tell me I am lucky because they don’t even have one. We figured companies are cutting back on expenses and giveaways are almost certain to top their list of cost-cutting measures.

Traditionally printed Christmas and New Year greeting cards are expected to be replaced by e-cards this season as well.

It takes a little getting used to for most, particularly if there are no bonuses, and workers are told that they are lucky to keep their jobs as the global economic crisis takes its toll.

In Malaysia, most of us have not been seriously bitten by the credit crunch as its impact would be clearer only by the middle of next year.

But in Penang, US-owned factories have already cut down production and workers have been told to go off during the holiday season.

Previously, this would have been the busiest time of the year as workers rush to meet the deadline. And now, there could be retrenchments eventually.

The buzzword today is cost cutting. From a ban on staff recruitment to travelling on budget airlines for company trips to closing down unprofitable branches, employers are taking tough measures to keep their expenses down.

It’s simple – when the patient is bleeding, you have to stop it before it worsens. Then, the treatment begins.

For obvious reasons, salaried workers would not like cost cutting measures. Nobody likes changes, particularly if it means changes to their lifestyles and working habit. Sometimes, it could even mean sacrificing basic items for the family, including college education for the children because of a salary cut.

But cost cutting can also lead to reinvention and restructuring. It need not be disruptive but innovative as it means cutting away the fat and making the company leaner. The same is applicable to the public sector, which has more reasons to apply these austerity measures as they use taxpayers’ money.

There is a Chinese saying that in times of crisis there are also opportunities. One of the most uplifting comments I have read of late, in the midst of gloom and doom stories dominating the media, must be from Forbes magazine editor-in-chief Steve Forbes.

He believes that the world is still flush with cash, unlike the generally-held belief that the world has run out of liquidity.

“It’s frozen because of fear, but the cash is there. Productivity gains are burgeoning,” he wrote in his latest commentary “How Capitalism Will Save Us” in the magazine’s latest edition.

He even predicts that the global boom “will resume next year, slowly at first and then with increasing momentum” but warns that it would depend on the “political aftermath.”

That means political leaders need to pursue policies that promote growth, including cutting tax rates, as “taxes don’t just raise revenue, they are also a price and a burden” and that the “tax you pay for income is the tax you pay for working.”

Certainly a lot of middle class, salaried Malaysians would share their frustrations over the tax regime we have.

But as in previous financial crises, when jobs are hard to come by, or young people do not find it attractive working with reduced wages, many have become successful entrepreneurs.

In the same issue, Forbes publisher Rich Karlgaard pointed out that in the 1970s, when the economic outlook was eerily similar as stocks took a beating, names like FedEx, Microsoft, Genentech, Apple, Oracle and Southwest Airlines were born.

It was high income tax and a lousy stock market, he wrote, that drove bright young people into unconventional careers.

Recently, I met a group of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia graduates of 1984. It was a bad time to leave university then as jobs were scarce and many jobless graduates were paid allowances to just sit in government departments.

The circumstances drove many to become businessmen and to create jobs. We met for the first time in 25 years and I was pleased to learn many were running their own companies, and doing better than those who secured jobs.

Over-reliance on the government by graduates, especially those who are not marketable because they lack language and social skills, would complicate matters in a financial crisis.

Start-ups with lower pay could in the end be more financially rewarding. Risk-taking and innovation are what the nation needs.

In times of difficulties, there can still be a silver lining as new ideas would emerge to ensure survival.

LET’S not lie to ourselves or let the politicians tell us otherwise. Malaysia, like all other economies that depend on international trade, will not be spared from the effects of the global economic turmoil.

Already, private sector employers are adopting cost-cutting measures before the full effects of the financial tsunami are felt next year.

That means no new recruits, reducing business travel, spending less on entertainment, lowering operating costs and even downsizing or retrenchment in some cases.

The reality is that most businesses expect less revenue next year. In order to stretch the dollar, clients are now taking a longer time to settle their bills.

The outlook for next year is not good at all. The general perception is that the effects of the global economic turmoil will run long haul. You don’t have to be an economist to foresee that the problems will not disappear overnight.

To keep their operations afloat, businessmen are keeping a tight control of their budget while seeking new revenue-making avenues.

Ahead of the bad times, Malaysians are looking to our politicians for leadership and assurances – which seem to be lacking.

We want to hear more about the measures that will be taken to soften the blow. It should not just come from Finance Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. What have the others to say?

We are still squabbling about the 30% bumiputra equity under the New Economic Policy even when the cake is shrinking fast. No one seems to be talking about how Malay­sians, regardless of race, should work together to expand the cake.

What’s the point of quarrelling over how many slices when the cake may disappear soon?

For the vast majority of Malays – from wage-earners to traders – their needs will be greater in the months to come.

Surely, it makes sense for a policy to address the needs of those who are truly disadvantaged; and need rather than race should be the criterion.

There’s no legitimate reason to help those with political connections – regardless of whether they are Malay, Chinese or Indian – to become richer and more powerful while the majority stays the same.

It is equally baffling that there should be a controversy over the decision of the Penang state government to use more languages on a handful of signboards in tourist areas.

It’s not something new. Signages in English, Chinese, Japanese and Arabic are already prevalent at the KL International Airport.

Soon, we may even see Russian signages as the country’s new rich begin to travel extensively. Already the Russian market has been identified as the next “frontier”.

In Kuching and Miri, signs on main roads are in Bahasa Malaysia and Chinese and have been there for decades.

Certainly, the identity of the national language will not be threatened nor will the dominant position of the Malays.

We can choose to believe those politicians who spew racist and narrow nationalistic remarks to win votes in party elections or we can be pragmatic and open-minded in a world that has become more competitive and connected.

It is no secret that some of these hypocritical communal champions prefer to holiday in London and send their children, even at primary school level, to study in Britain or Australia. At the same time, they extol “the world-class standard” of our education system.

Fifty years after independence, many politicians, whether in government or the opposition, are still talking about the same issues that have either been resolved or are no longer relevant.

All of a sudden, we have to look up the history books to learn whether the social contract was cast in stone. Worse still, those who brought up the subject do not know much about it.

There seems to be a vacuum for fresh politics. Some of our more youthful leaders are parroting their elders, either out of reverence or for self-preservation. The result is we are getting more of the same.

The sad, if not frightening, part is that many of our politicians do not realise how detached they are from the New Politics of Malaysia, where the minds and hearts of the electorate have so radically changed after March 8.

With 2009 weeks away, Malaysians have to prepare to face a year of uncertainty.

By March, a new political leadership takes over. There’s hope and opportunity if the country is led along the right path.

The results of the general election show that Malaysians have grown up, yet many of our politicians have not.

It’s time they change or be changed.

A NEW MCA line-up has been formed with Datuk Ong Tee Keat as president and Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek as his deputy.

Along with them are four first-time vice-presidents: Datuk Kong Cho Ha, Datuk Liow Tiong Lai, Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen and Datuk Tan Kok Hong.

When the celebrations are over, their task will begin and it certainly won’t be an easy one with the massive changes in the country’s political landscape.

As his parting shot, outgoing party president Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting did not mince his words. He devoted almost his entire speech to express how resentful the people were of the Government.

He said Malaysians had negative perception of Barisan Nasional and were angry with the arrogance of racist politicians, the increasing crime rate and unfair treatment by government agencies towards non-Malays.

It would not be wrong to regard it as the pent-up frustrations of a political leader whose party had suffered massively in the polls.

There was more from Ka Ting: he also said the people’s perception was that Barisan had yet to carry out any reform and that Barisan must change before it was changed.

This is where the Herculean task begins for the new line-up who have campaigned with the pledge to be bold in speaking up for Malay­sians, not just the Chinese community.

Obviously, from the thrashing that the MCA has been receiving at the hands of the Pakatan Rakyat, it is not good enough resolving issues within the confines of the Cabinet meeting and the so-called proper channels.

Meeting expectations

No doubt the expectations of Malaysians are high but the fundamental concern for the new line-up must be how they can be effective in government.

It is one thing to speak up openly but quite another to resolve the grievances, or at least some of them, before the next general election. It would be a tough one. We recognise the frustrations but the question is: Can you solve them or at least some of them?

Announcing relocation of Chinese schools, raising funds for Chinese schools and Datuk Michael Chong helping the people don’t seem to be enough any more. The people see these as the duties of a political party now, that’s all.

Unlike Gerakan, where some of its leaders mulled about leaving the Barisan, the MCA has consistently stuck to the decision to stay firmly with the coalition.

Still, it is no secret that within the MCA, there is frustration at Umno for its refusal to acknowledge the need to carry out serious reforms.

Despite open unhappiness at the arrogance of some Umno leaders, the MCA also realises the reality of this country is that the Chinese must work with the Malays and Indians, and vice-versa.

The choice is Umno or PAS’ Islamic State objective. PKR has remained largely a personality-driven party based on the popularity of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

If Anwar isn’t there, leadership of the Pakatan Rakyat, which would certainly be Malay for all purposes and intentions, could be from PAS.

Early this year we saw how some PAS leaders flirted with the idea of working with Umno because of their uneasiness with Anwar and the liberal policies of PKR, displaying their discomfort with the many non-Malay leaders in PKR.

But PAS spiritual leader Datuk Seri Nik Aziz Nik Mat put a stop to the attempt and those involved in the plan are now keeping a low profile.

MCA has chosen to stick with Umno not only because of their historic ties but also because the MCA is not a fair-weather partner. They have gone through the high and low points in the country’s 51 years of history together.

Facing up to reality

The point is this €“ as a loyal partner of Umno, the MCA has every right to bring up its grievances because it is a time-tested relationship.

It was easier when the Alliance was just Umno, MCA and MIC but now the Barisan has 13 component parties.

Yes, party leaders meet at Cabinet meetings but how well do Barisan leaders know each other at the personal level like our founding fathers did?

The time has come for Barisan to form a Barisan presidential council that meets every month and not just at the supreme council level.

The new Umno and MCA leaders must realise they can bring freshness to Barisan but this could well be their last chance.

They cannot put their head, like ostriches, in the sand: the risk of losing to Pakatan in the next election is very real.

Umno can choose to regard the March 8 election result as a fluke and continue playing the communal heroes or take the calls, if not cries, for quick reforms from the MCA seriously, and sincerely too.

It is human nature €“ but more so among politicians €“ to only want to hear praises and not the bad news. But the fact is that among large sections of Malaysians, Umno is not just unpopular, it is resented.

That means party president Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi would have to announce whether he wishes to defend his post or begin his retirement plan.

The consensus is that Pak Lah is unlikely to defend his post and will make it known to the Barisan Nasional supreme council, which is expected to meet over the next few days, that the leadership transition plan has begun.

In short, Pak Lah will pass the baton to his deputy Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, and that over the next six months, he will make plans to exit from the leadership.

With the quick pace of Umno politics, party leaders are already busy making their move to fill up the vacancies although most have not announced their plans, preferring to wait for Pak Lah to state his position first.

Dark horse

The only exception is former youth chief Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, 55, who confirmed last week that he would be contesting for the deputy president post.

On Thursday, the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department explained that he made the announcement simply because he believed that Najib would take over the leadership.

That means it is a foregone conclusion that embattled Pak Lah would be retiring for sure and that there would be no last-minute changes in plans, although some of his supporters harbour hopes that he will fight on.

It is an unlikely scenario as Pak Lah is too weak to take on a fight and his stepping down is imminent and irreversible.

Umno and Barisan Nasional component party leaders have made it known that they want Najib, 55, to take over the driver’s seat soon to provide him sufficient time to carry out the repair job following the damage of the March 8 election.

The attention has now shifted to the num­ber two spot as party aspirants begin scrambling to fill up the vacancies.

Within the Umno circle, Zahid, a popular figure with the press, has been described as a “dark horse” in the race because he is relatively junior, having served previously as a deputy minister and now barely six months as a full minister.

Considering the seniority of the deputy president post, which by tradition and convention also means the deputy prime minister post, Zahid’s short resume would be used against him by his opponents.

He is said to have been picked to check Inter­national Trade and Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, the most senior vice-president who is almost certain to vie for the number two slot.

Muhyiddin, 61, has stepped on the toes of powerful figures in Umno with his constant calls for Pak Lah to step down; certainly for Pak Lah’s supporters, it is payback time now ahead of the nominations.

But Muhyiddin has enjoyed an early boost with two divisions, Cheras and Titiwangsa, saying they would be picking Najib and Muhyiddin for the top two posts.

Not to be outdone, Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam has said he would be joining in the fray for the deputy president.

The decisions by Zahid and Rustam are likely to trigger more announcements over the next 48 hours and the possible candidates may include Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein and Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib.

Crucial contest

Umno delegates must bear in mind that their pick of the number two post is crucial. It is not a popularity contest.

Eloquence in Bahasa Malaysia and strong heartland relations will not be sufficient. The country expects our top two to have the ability to grasp economic issues and win the confidence of the financial community.

The deputy must be able to articulate confidently at international forums and, more importantly, he must not have a tarnished reputation.

It would be a mockery if the deputy prime minister is not held in high regard by Malay­sians and the world. Fulfilling one’s ambition is one thing but the ability to represent Malay­sia on a competitive global stage is another.

We can take comfort in the fact that Najib is a British-trained economist, has vast experience and speaks perfect English. We can ill-afford a Sarah Palin situation.

The position of Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, 71, remains unclear. He has expressed interest in contesting the presidency for the third time. He needs 58 nominations to make a fresh bid for the post and certainly it would be a Herculean task.

Although he is qualified for the post, he faces a generation gap with the delegates as many do not know him. It is unlikely he will settle for any lesser post, which requires fewer nominations.

Candidates vying for the deputy president and vice-president posts only need 38 and 19 nominations respectively. .

The leadership transition plan begins this week and Malaysians will witness the beginning of a new leadership era.