ISSUES

1. Remarks by President Obama and

Prime Minister Najib of Malaysia
After Bilateral Meeting
Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
7:59 P.M. MYT
PRIME MINISTER NAJIB: Well, first of all, Id like to thank President Obama for
visiting Malaysia once again. Not only he has corrected history; we had a hiatus of
almost 50 years without a U.S. President visiting Malaysia. But hes visited us twice
now. So thats a wonderful accomplishment in terms of his commitment not only to
Malaysia, but also to the region. And we are delighted at his support for the ASEAN
as well as the Asia Summit progress.
We had a very good discussion on bilateral issues. As expected, we have a very
similar position in terms of combatting violent extremism. We both agree that we need
to work closely together to make this region safer. This region is not immune from
threat of violent of extremism. There are groups here operating, and there are groups
here that have are aligned to IS. The Malaysian government is very clear on
unequivocally that we are up against IS, against its ideology, what it stands for. It is
evil. It is against Islam. Its a perverted Islam. And they do not represent us. So we
will work very closely together with the United States and other like-minded countries
to make this region safer and to combat any form of violent extremism.
We also agreed to make Malaysia as a center for counter-messaging center. Because
in fighting violent extremism, its not only a military solution thats required, but its
winning the hearts and minds of its people. And that is why its important for us to
present the counter-narrative, to present the authentic Islam, the true Islam, so that
people realize what IS represents, or tries to represent, is the total perversion of Islam.

So that work is important for us, and we will continue to present what we believe is a
true picture of Islam.
We also talked about the TPP, which is important. We crossed the finishing line. Ive
explained to the President the domestic process. The people present to the Cabinet
the cost-benefit analysis which we will take to Parliament in January, special session.
And we hope with the support and the approval of Parliament, the TPP will be ratified
within two years, or put into operation within two years.
We believe it will create the kind of increase in trade and investment, innovation, and
set the kind of standards with respect to labor and environment, which will ensure that
TPP countries be able to create more wealth, more innovation, and set new standards
in terms of things like environment and labor.
We also discussed about climate change. The President and I agree that we need a
deal in Paris. Malaysia is committed to work to find a deal. But if necessary, we will
revive our position to make sure that we do not fail in Paris. I think we owe this to the
world. We cannot afford not to have a deal in Paris. And I hope we will be able to find
common ground so that we can find -- a deal can be reached in Paris.
We also talked about the South China Sea. We know the position of the United
States, (inaudible) position consistent with the role. And we hope that periodic
tensions are not escalated, and that we be able to find a negotiated settlement thats
consonant with the principle of international law and that respects the rights of big and
small nations, as well.
We also talked about general development. I explained the current situation in
Malaysia. The President also raised certain of his views. And we take into account
some of his views and concerns. But Malaysia is committed to reforms, and we are
committed to reassuring at the same time theres peace and stability.
So, overall, its been a very good meeting, and we appreciate the strengthening of the
partnership with the United States on all fronts. And we look forward to working
closely together.
Thank you.

PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, it is good to be back in Malaysia. And hopefully Ive set a
good example so that future Presidents wont wait another 50 years before coming
back.
As I said at the town hall meeting with young people from all across ASEAN, this part
of the world occupies a very special place in my heart. But Im here as the President
of the United States because ASEAN countries represent enormous growth, enormous
potential, and are critical partners for the United States in order to achieve our national
security, economic and environmental objectives.
And over the last several years, the relationship between the United States and
Malaysia has strengthened on a whole variety of fronts. We have, as the Prime
Minister indicated, developed a very strong relationship around counterterrorism
issues. Malaysia, like Indonesia, is a majority-Muslim country that represents
tolerance and peace. And as a consequence, its voice is critical in the debate that is
taking place internationally around terrorism.
And Malaysia, as part of the coalition to fight ISIL, I think can be extraordinarily helpful,
particularly, as the Prime Minister mentioned, on issues like countering the destructive
and perverse narrative thats developed. And Malaysias willingness to host a center
that uses all the tools of social media and engagement with scholars and clerics to
counter this violent narrative is extremely important and most welcome. So we look
forward to working with them on that.
Malaysia is also one of the 12 countries that have joined together around TPP. And
we had a good discussion about the progress thats being made, even as Malaysia
debates and hopefully ultimately ratifies the agreement. Malaysia has already started
to take some special reforms, for example, around countering human trafficking and
other issues that are embedded in the agreement. And so we will continue to work
with Malaysia on that front.
We talked about the South China Sea, and this will be a topic with all the ASEAN
countries. There are a number of claimants there. The United States is not one of
them, but the United States does strongly believe in the need to apply rule of law and
international norms to the resolution of maritime disputes. And ASEAN has taken a
common position on that. And we look forward to working with them to ensure that
those basic rules apply -- because freedom of navigation and the free flow of

commerce has been really the foundation stone for extraordinary development here in
this region.
And as the Prime Minister discussed, we talked about the importance of civil society
and issues not just in Malaysia, but in the region generally, and how we can promote
those values that will encourage continued development and opportunity and
prosperity. And so I very much appreciate this conversation. I think it was
constructive. We thank Malaysia for the extraordinary job theyve done not only here
in ASEAN, but also hosting the EAS Summit. The East Asia Summit has become one
of the premier mechanisms by which countries can coordinate on a whole range of
issues. And we look forward to participation in the summit over the next several days.
So, Mr. Prime Minister, thank you for your hospitality again, and to the people of
Malaysia. Thank you so much. Its good to be back.
END
8:10 P.M. MYT

2. DUAL LANGUAGE PROGRAMME

TWO new initiatives have been added to the list of programmes to improve
English proficiency among young Malaysians. The Dual Language Programme and
the Highly Immersive Programme have a budget allocation of RM38.5 million to help
young Malaysians master English. Some 300 schools will be identified for the pilot
project. It is worth repeating the importance of English in todays competitive world.
According to one estimate, two billion people around the world use English to
communicate on a regular basis. It may not be the most spoken language in the
world, but it is the official language in a large number of countries. It is the dominant
business language and people who want to enter a global workforce must be able to
speak English.
Foreign research reveals that English is the language of choice in cross-border
business communication. Clearly, its role in the global marketplace cannot be
downplayed. The 2016 Budget acknowledged the importance of English when it
announced the allocation for the two new language initiatives. Schools have a critical
obligation to help young English-language learners acquire proficiency, otherwise
they will be at a disadvantage in school and in life. Failure to attain mastery of the
language

means

limited

opportunities

for

higher

education

and

careers.

Jobstreet.com was quoted as saying in June 2011 that Malaysians would be at a

slight disadvantage in the competitive global environment because of their poor
command of English. The online recruitment company placed Malaysia behind
Singapore and the Philippines in an English Language assessment test conducted in
Asian countries. A 2009 survey with employers revealed that lack of proficiency in
English is also one of the top three reasons for the unemployment rate among

graduates. Jobstreet.com said in the same study, 91 per cent of companies

surveyed stated that English was their official business language. The ability to
communicate is among the main criteria employers look for in job applicants. Other
surveys also revealed the same finding. The recurring theme emerging from these
efforts has been the lack of English language skills among fresh graduates and
workers. Much has been said about the disappointing levels of English proficiency
among Malaysian learners as well as teachers. The good news is, there is a great
desire among many Malaysians to address the problem. Learning English is
challenging and time consuming.
For that reason, patience and consistency are vital to overcome challenges so
that new and existing language learning schemes will bear fruit in the long run.
Perhaps the biggest challenge of all is to coax young learners to appreciate the
English language and its benefits. Anecdotal evidence suggests that many young
Malaysians do not like studying English. Teachers must rise to the challenge and find
out why this is so. Learning English starts at the primary level with the focus on four
main areas reading, writing, speaking and listening. Creative teachers inject fun
and humour into their lesson plans and motivate their charges to speak and interact
in English in and outside the classrooms. Is it possible to track learners progress to
see where they are hitting bottlenecks on the path to English proficiency? We need
to do this and more. (29 OCT 2015-NEWS STRAITS TIMES)

3. English Lessons for Free as Malaysia

Tackles Drop in Proficiency

Pooi Koon Chong, October 29, 2015 6:00 AM SGT Updated on October 29, 2015
3:03 PM SGT
Malaysia is encouraging schools to teach more classes in English and will offer
free lessons to the masses as manufacturers and company chiefs say a deteriorating
command of the language is hurting the countrys competitiveness.
Over 90 percent of the 190,000 respondents in an online poll this month said there
should be an option to take more subjects in the language, Idris Jala, head of the
governments Performance Management and Delivery Unit, said in an interview on
Monday. Prime Minister Najib Razak introduced a dual-language program during his
budget speech last week, and the New Straits Times said Thursday the government
will organize English communication lessons at no charge from next year.
The poll highlights the challenges for Malaysia even as the World Banks annual
Doing Business report showed the country is making progress on becoming more
investor-friendly, having made it easier and less costly for companies to pay taxes.
Malaysia has lost its competitiveness due to our standards in English going down,
AirAsia Bhd. co-founder Tony Fernandes wrote on Twitter this month. Its a critical
time "to reverse decades of decline in English, he said. Our children have suffered.
The government has flip-flopped on policies for English for over a decade. A delay in
August on making it a compulsory pass subject in a major exam for high-school
students renewed debate about the education system. It drew criticism from
manufacturers who say the move would weaken efforts to make Malaysian
graduates more employable amid a goal of becoming a high-income nation by 2020.
More Prevalent
As it moves toward this goal its inevitable that the use of English, be it in education
or business, will be more prevalent," said Weiwen Ng, a Singapore-based economist
at Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd. Measures to boost the use of the
language are "a long-awaited step in the right direction.
The country shifted to the Malay language known as Bahasa Melayu from English as
the primary language used by teachers in a bid to promote integration between the

ethnic Malay majority and ethnic Chinese. The government revived maths and
science lessons in English in 2003, only to reverse that in 2012.
In 2013, an education blueprint said it would be compulsory to pass English for fifthyear high-school students taking a national exam starting 2016. That too changed in
August.
The Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers, which represents more than 2,600
companies, said it was disappointed with the education ministrys decision to
postpone making English a must-pass subject. The employability and quality of
Malaysias human capital is at stake; and also the countrys efforts to achieve
developed nation status, it said.
Jala defended the governments move, saying it would give educators and students
more time to prepare. He cited a competency assessment several years ago where
70 percent of English teachers failed the Cambridge Placement Test.
Entrenched Language
"The fundamental problem is we have been entrenched for such a long time on
Bahasa," Jala said. When you have the teachers not making the grade, surely you
have fundamental problems.
In the dual-language program, 300 primary and secondary schools will part of a pilot
plan that will teach subjects including science, mathematics and information
technology in both English and Malay, the education ministry said in a statement
Wednesday. Other schools that want to implement the program must meet the
criteria of sufficient resources, readiness of teachers and support from parents, it
said.
Najib has announced plans to spend more than 135 million ringgit ($32 million) in
next years budget to raise the proficiency in English, as well as Malay. The
government is maintaining the budget allocation for the education ministry even as a
separate one overseeing tertiary institutes faces a cut in proposed spending.
Still, the quality of Malaysian education hasnt kept pace with most peers in East
Asia, the World Bank said in a 2013 report, highlighting a declining student

performance in maths, science and deteriorating English proficiency. Critics say the
focus of Malaysias spending may have been misplaced.
Its all about building schools but not about changing the curriculum, Bridget Welsh,
a senior research associate at National Taiwan Universitys Center for East Asia
Democratic

Studies,

said

about

Najibs

spending

plan

next

year.