Look at Singapore, Sarawak CM tells ‘pseudo-nationalist’ critics of English use

KUCHING - Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem told critics of his decision to adopt English as a “preferred primary language” of the Sarawak administration to look at Singapore as an example of a successful country that prioritises English.

Adenan explained that he was being realistic and accepting of the fact that English is a universal language when he made the announcement to adopt it as an official language of his administration at a state civil service day last Wednesday.

“Singapore has Mandarin, Malay and English as its official languages, but you know that everyone there speaks English and you know that English is their principal language,” he said at the 64th Sarawak Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) anniversary dinner here last night.

“So my advice to people is they should not listen to pseudo-nationalists who said that English is the language of Anglo-Saxon who used to colonise us.”

He added that using English did not amount to accepting colonisation, but to gain access to the fields of commerce, science and technology.

Adenan pointed out that Malaysia trades with countries such as the US, Japan, China, Taiwan, and Korea, among others, and needed to be able to communicate with these.

“I do not suppose people from these countries speak Malay so we have to be realistic about it and that is why we need to have English to communicate with them,” he said.

“Even Mongolia wants to learn English.”

Adenan said the state government will not stop using Bahasa Malaysia in its administration, but will instead raise the levels of both the national language and English.

On his appeal to the people of Sarawak to give him another five more years to lead the state government, he said he wants to finish his job.

He said his main concern is that although Sarawak is the biggest and the richest state in Malaysia, it is the third from bottom in term of poverty among the States in Malaysia.

“We are lagging far behind other states in Peninsular Malaysia, though we have achieved independence 52 years ago. Therefore, we have a lot to catch up,” he said, adding that progress in Sarawak is rather slow.

Malay trade groups in peninsular Malaysia have criticised Sarawak’s decision to adopt English as one of the official languages, saying it will worsen the urban-rural divide and alienate those in the state’s interior.

Concerns over Malaysians’ weakening grasp of English were reignited following reports that over 1,000 trainee doctors dropped out due to their lack of proficiency in the language, among others.

- Malaymail Online