4 theSun | WEDNESDAY JUNE 10 2009

news without borders

Aye for move to make

English pass a must
by Meena L. Ramadas
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
PETALING JAYA: The Education Ministry’s initia-
tive to make a pass in English compulsory for
students to obtain their SPM certificate has been
enthusiastically supported by several quarters.
The National Parent-Teacher Association
(PTA) and the National Union of the Teaching
Profession (NUTP) said the move must, however,
be accompanied by good groundwork for policy
efficacy.
“It is a good move that will ensure a good
future for students. However, positive action
to create a good foundation is needed,” said
National PTA chairman Prof Datuk Dr Mohd
Ali Hassan. “It is already a core subject and it
is a knowledge-based, global language. So, the
language must be mastered by the young.”
The ministry is drafting a proposal while
getting public feedback concerning the move to
make a pass in English as a requirement to obtain
the SPM certificate.
“We welcome the statement. But, there needs
to be good preparation before policy change and
this involves good groundwork and preparations,”
said NUTP secretary-general Loke Yim Pheng.
Both parties agreed that improving English
language proficiency among teachers is the vital
step towards the policy change.
“First, the standard of English among teach-
ers must be improved. Students must also have
a good foundation in grammar and vocabulary.
This way, it will be easier for students to master
English,” said Loke.
Mohd Ali urged the government to provide
better facilities and infrastructure such as English
labs and supporting materials such as enriching
textbooks, software implementation and also
computer proficiency.
He suggested a change of leadership in
schools to ensure only principals of high calibre
are employed to lead schools.
Schools should also offer incentives to teach-
ers who teach Mathematics and Science in Eng-
lish or are involved in supplementary activities
such English dramas and debates, he said.
The standard of English among students has
dropped over the years due to the fact that a pass
in English is no longer compulsory to obtain the
SPM certificate. Students are taught communica-
tive English, thus grammar is not emphasised.
Trainee teachers are also taught communi-
cative English, making them inept to teach the
language.
“Teachers in schools aren’t proficient enough
in English to be teaching the language. They also
don’t have the right attitude. There is no urge
to master the language,” said former school
teacher and Universiti Malaya lecturer Asiah
Mohd Sharif.
The ministry has implemented the policy to
teach Science and Mathematics in English in an
effort to raise the English proficiency level among
students. However, this policy is being criticised
by some quarters who are pro-Bahasa Melayu.
“Actually, they (the ministry) should make it
compulsory to pass English at Year Six (UPSR)
or Form Three (PMR) because learning English
is a cumulative process,” said Asiah. However,
she noted, not all schools have good teachers,
especially the rural schools.
» see also theSun says – Page 8

Cut to five storeys, developers told

GEORGE TOWN: The developers of two of the con-
troversial high-rise projects within the George Town
Heritage site core zone, have been told to reduce
the height of the projects to five storeys or 18m.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the Penang
Island Municipal Council (MPPP) has instructed
the developers to comply with this as per the
recommendations made by Unesco officers dur-
ing their visit here recently.
“So far, one of the developers has responded
favourably to this and agreed to conform while
another has yet to respond,” he told a press
conference after chairing the PBA Holdings Bhd
annual general meeting.
Lim said developers of two other projects
situated on the buffer zone have also agreed to
recommendations made by the Unesco officers.
While declining to name which developer had
not responded to the directive, Lim said if the
developer does not want to reduce the height of
the project to 18m, the council will not allow the
project to go on.
“This may give rise to a possibility of a court
case against the state government by the de-
veloper in question, but George Town’s Unesco
heritage status is more important,” he said.
“We feel the developers are responsible and
they practise corporate social responsibility, so
they may respond favourably to this,” he said.
The four controversial projects involved are
the Rice Miller boutique hotel and Boustead Roy-
ale Bintang Hotel, which are within the core zone,
and the E & O Hotel extension project and a Low
Yat Group Hotel situated in the buffer zone.

MTUC: Give maids partment to complain about

weekly day off
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian
Trades Union Congress
(MTUC) wants the govern-
ment to declare a compulsory
weekly day off for domestic
workers to enable them to go
to the Labour Department in
case they need to report any
mistreatment.
Referring to the case of
Indonesian maid Siti Hajar
who claimed she was abused
by her employer for the past
three years, MTUC secretary-
general G. Rajasekaran said
this measure must be taken
due to the rising reports of
abuse, torture and inhumane
treatment among foreign
domestic workers.
“Compelling domestic
workers to work 16 hours a
day, seven days a week and
365 days a year is not illegal,”
he said, adding that this group
of workers, numbering more
than 300,000 throughout the
country, were also not entitled
to any legal protection.
“The only protection the
workers have is that they
can go to the Labour De-
non-payment of monthly
salaries, but without a weekly
day off they are denied free
movement,” he said in a
statement here yesterday.
– Bernama
Three held over
missing money
KUALA LUMPUR: Three
security guards were ar-
rested in connection with
the RM500,000 found
missing yesterday from a
van parked outside Menara
Perkeso.
Cheras deputy police
chief Supt Abdul Rahim
Hamzah Othman said the
trio, aged between 21 and
35, were picked up at 11pm
yesterday.
Police have taken their
statements and they have
been remanded until Fri-
day," he said.
Police were now study-
ing the CCTV footage of
the incident that occurred
outside Menara Perkeso
where the driver was said
to have made off with the
money. – Bernama
Manager-turned-
snatch thief nabbed
KAJANG: A supermarket
manager turned snatch thief
yesterday, when he grabbed a
bag containing RM65,000, from
his counterpart of a branch in
Section 7, Bandar Baru Bangi.
The victim, Mohamad
Sharif Usop, 37, together with
a friend, was riding a motor-
cycle to deposit the money
in a bank when two youths
on another motorcycle rode
alongside them.
The pillion rider of the other
motorcycle kicked Mohamad
Sharif’s machine, sending him
and his friend sprawled on the
road in the 2pm incident.
Just then, the other su-
permarket manager driving a
Kancil, pulled up nearby.
He snatched the bag con-
taining the money – which
was the three-day collection
of the other supermarket –and
sped away.
However, it was a short-
lived joy for the motorist.
Acting on a tip-off, police
mounted a road block at the
Silk Highway and caught the
suspect. – Bernama