The debate is on again: To revert Maths and Science to English or not to? How sad is that, after all these years, we are still stuck with the question: Going back and forth. Not making the slightest progress even at decision level.

And guess who suffers in the end? Who end up as the victims here? The students! Yet one wonders why we frown upon the Malaysian Education system. Indecisiveness rules, that’s why!

I remembered in 2002 when the Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir pushed for more subjects to be taught in English. The idea was adopted, and then we went back to Bahasa Malaysia, and back to English, and now, the deliberation is on again to have Maths and Science in Bahasa.

What’s happening to us? When China is importing English lecturers by the thousands from the UK, and many other countries are encouraging their people to pick up Mandarin, looking at how China is fast becoming a world economic power, here we are, still arguing about the same old issue, regressing to square one, yet again.

We really, really, really need to move on. We really do and We need to move forward.

A friend’s teacher was telling about how she was approached by a colleague who confided in her. The male secondary school teacher was approached by a student who asked him: “Sir, which part of out body is called the waist?” The boy pointed at his waist and thigh. The teacher, pointing to his own thigh, said that was his waist!

Of course the friend corrected him and thankfully, that teacher had the decency to go back to the student and admit to the student that he was wrong.

But this is it. This is where we are where English is concerned. Our understanding, our comprehension of the language, the way we pronounce words.. gone to the dogs!

Yes, we understand that it is difficult for some teachers to teach in English because they are poor too- again, no thanks to or education system. But we can’t take the easy way out here or we will surely lose out in the long run. Teachers who are weak in English can be trained. We can have extra classes to help them improve and hopefully master the language one day. And they in turn, can help their own children grasp the language. It’s all for their own good. For our own good! For the nation’s own good!

We need this to continue being competitive. Or do turn and run the other way and not bother with the finish line or promising rewards, whenever we see an obstacle ahead? Do we sacrifice yet another generation to bad English?

The current standard is, to say the least, atrocious, appalling, abominable! Awful, I’d say

To the authorities, please do what’s right for the country (Yes, to the authorities. Giving up? haha)

Please don’t let the current efforts that are already in place, go to waste!

Some perfect examples to the title ‘Are you speak Engris?’

1. In an office, a young employee picks up her phone when it rings and casually asks the person on the other line:’Is this an internal or outernal (external) call?’

2. Interview between an airline company and flight attendant wannabe.
Question: What do you know about flight safety procedures?
Answer: Passengers must leave their belongings during EJACULATION (evacuation).

3. One student is heard telling the other at a formal function: ‘Wah, today you look very extinguished (distinguished)’

4. At a modelling agency, a model asks her colleague… ‘Where you SHOT tomorrow? (Where is your shoot tomorrow)’

5. At a beauty pageant a contestant says: ‘I want to be success’

6. Form an essay by a student: ‘… I am dumbfolded (dumbfounded)’

7. Another essay by a student: ‘He suffer from low SELF OF STEAM (self-esteem)’

8. From a notice posted by a student: ‘No smoking ALOUD (allowed)’

9. From an essay by a student” ‘I pass all my testes. My grades should be hirer’

10. Written by a form four student in his essay: ‘Talking about the MISUED of religion’

11. From a letter written by a 17-year old: ‘I like your WORD (work), and what a cute CREATURE (picture) of you…’

12. Overheard at a department store: ‘I am so shy to go to the LIN-JE-Ree (lingerie) section..’

13. From an essay by a 15-year old who was asked if he would dress like a girl: ‘Never. Even if all the girls in the world EXTINCTED’

14. A student at school tells his teacher: ‘Sir, toilet sir. I got stomach cake’

15. From an assignment submitted by a university student: ‘Women can use the DIAGRAM to prvent from getting pregnant’

16. From a student: ‘The reason why he’s not interested in woman is because he is a QUAIL (queer)’

17. On a trup abroad, a reporter wakes up just after dawn, looks out the window and exclaims: ‘Wah, cantiknya sunset!’

18. Spelling mistakes at local food outlets: ;’Sphaghetthi (spaghetti)’ ‘Suit and sawa chicken (Sweet and sour chicken)’, ‘Stake (steak)’

19. A part time worker at a concert hall needs to stamp the wrists of patrons foing out for a break. She says: ‘Excuse me sir, can I chop you hand?’

20. From a secondary student: ‘He told me he hit his head on his forehead’

21. From a local fil delegate at an international festival: ‘She’s an actress. SHE-MOTHER also actress’

22. From a 15-year old looking after his pet: ‘My dog had cut his hair last week. He became a shaven body because he is thin’

23. A very famous local singer was asked by a stewardess, ‘How would you like your coffee?’ The singer, very earnestly replied, ‘In a cup please’

24. Toilets out of Order. Please use the Ice-Rink.

25. All of You Listen to mee, Don’t disturb here, will call policae catch you, Don’t come to my bungalow house, Understand, O.K? I hate all of you.

How atrocious is an International Language made? Or perhaps I ask, how more disgrace shall we bring to ourselves and our nation? Enough of debates. Many often asks, ‘Why the countries around grows faster?’ Have we ever realised that language itself plays such an important role in the lives of many? Singapore has proven to be one of the fastest growing country. At least people doesn’t ask if they live in jungles and if they have eggs and potatoes right?

We made ourselves who we are. Don’t bother looking east, west, north or south. What’s the point if our own basic is not strong? Language is such a basic. Are we just afraid that English will overshadow our national language? Is it the ego in the ministers? I’d rather you sacrifice your ego for the sake of the country.

I don’t deny my English is not good enough. I often complains that to my mum too. But hey, at least my English is way better than many around me? I am not bragging but I am thankful to be in a school where English was an important language. The exposure I got is so valuable. People have to realise. Authorities have to realise. We need to wake up from this.

Maths and Science is just 2 subjects out of the uncountable subjects that we offer in secondary school. What is wrong with just having it English? Apparently, people can get 20 A1s, if they are really brilliant, this change shouldn’t affect them. Are we not changing just because the students will get lower marks? Oh, that thinking is so traditional.

I am not as fortunate as those now who have their primary school Maths and Science in English. Nevertheless, it will turn unfortunate to them if it is revert back. People are leaving Malaysia because of it’s Education System. We need a revamp. We need a change. And I think English is the way to go.

Reference (and some sources) : from Malaysian Today

Apparently, more and more bloggers are being held in custody. Maybe blogs should be banned in Malaysia? I suppose it will settle all the sedition issues and all the corrupted critics and so on and so forth. Internet was once used to express freedom of speech in the right way- through blogs. But many silly people like you have changed the whole concept. Making innocent bloggers like us may worry that the freedom of blogging been taken away.

I’ve been hearing everyone saying the same thing when they don’t like to hear something. You want to know what phrase? The phrase, ‘Later ar, ISA come after …’. Everything gotta do with this ISA thingy and it’s starting to get old and boring. And oh, our dear leaders in the country, ignorance is not bliss. Sometimes, being responsible over the things we said and do make things easier and less complicated. Why dare do and not admit? Unless you tell me you are below 15years old, maybe I’d understand.

You know. Malaysia is not well know enough already. Imagine if blogs were banned. Internet were banned? Do you know a Mat Salleh once asked, ‘Where is Malaysia? Do you have potatoes there? How about eggs? Do you still live in the jungle?’. I mean, OMG. We even have one of the tallest Twin Towers. Why don’t we have eggs or potatoes? If blogs and internet were banned, oh Malaysia can remain unknown to the world. We would probably never exist in most of their minds.

Freedom of Speech is what I am talking about. Let’s be fair sometimes. Let’s not be judgemental. Some people are such an extremist that they idol the Leader and whatever the Leader says is true. Hell No. It is the things the Leaders do that matters. Not the things Leaders are.

The ‘putting bloggers into the lock-up’ scenario did wake me up a little. But I find so restricted. I find that it makes my blog so useless.I don’t know if these people really went beyond the lines but Get Real! It is the 21st Century. Freedom of Speech, Internet -are all out rights. I don’t want to live in a jail (Malaysia). If everything were restricted, how can life be?

I am fearful of what I just wrote but it has no intentions of being bias or rude towards anyone. Let’s just accept the facts of what is happening.

I believe all eyes are on our country. All eyes and even ears, are on our country. On it’s leadership, it’s citizens, it’s people. I sometimes question myself on ‘Why? Why is this happening?’. I sometimes even ask, ‘Why the Lord places leaders and authorities for me and yet when I look up to them, I feel …’. Undeniably, it has been a bit distracting for me. Opening the newspapers, you see all sorts of injustice, you see murders, you see innocence being jailed. Listening to the radios, you hear leaders fighting and criticizing. Switching on the television, the same things. When you go online, worst still. Why?

As I was preparing for ROCK Sunday’s Special Item, God of this City by Chris Tomlin (We’re doing a dance and live dance), I realized that in all circumstances, He is still in control. He is still the Lord of Kuala Lumpur. Despite all these terrible issues and debates, our eyes should still focus and remain on Him and Him alone and no one elses. He placed me here for a reason. I believe. He put me here in the city of Kuala Lumpur for a purpose and the purpose is still to bless the people around me. I am praying for the country. I don’t care what is going to happen this week. But I know that may His name be glorified in this city. We may seem the most corrupted place on earth now, but who cares if He is here?

Ultimately, we are humans. We are stubborn. We always like to take things the difficult way. And maybe through such difficulties, He’d be glorified? Through such times, people will turn to Him? Who knows? I pray He’d heal this land. I pray for a revival to start here. I pray for a miracle to rain upon this land.

I may be having a sore throat. Obviously, very distracted during worship today. To be honest, it was very distracting. But to see glimpse of people around me worshipping this morning was very encouraging. It was a rare sight to see people really worshipping from the seat I sit in church but this morning was just different, maybe people are really starting to realise His’ importance, His’ greatness and His’ authority. And I am glad to see that. I am happy to be in this change.

Dear Heavenly Father,
I pray for my nation. I pray for the people around me. I pray for my country’s leadership. I pray that Your will be done in this place. Despite all the rumours, dirty politics, extremists, I pray that You will be in control. I know you love your people. Heal this land, Oh Lord.

Tell me I am unhappy. I really am. Utterly disappointed over my own results. I may have even put too much hope on myself which I highly doubt so. I just did way beyond my own expectations. Letting your ownself down is somewhat a painful thing. It’s like you caused your own death. Justifiably, I told myself it was APIIT’s great fault that causes me this misery but thinking back, I too was at a wrong?

In short, I got..

• Malaysian Studies -A+
• Personal Dev and Study Methods- B+
• English Language- A+
• Mathematics- F+

It is obviously now you know what caused me to be this unhappy. I first heard when they told me Mathematics does not have final exams. I was more than excited. But now, I failed that module. I am also unhappy over my B+ for my PDSM. I expected an A+. And I did think that I would get that A+ easily.

But you can’t help it but to be furious if you are in my position. I know you may say that I am making excuses but I did thought I would fail Maths and true enough I did.

I am not blaming it that I went to camp. I submitted EC for Maths Test 1 since my old lecturer did not kept his promises in letting me sit for Test 1 after I came back from camp. He left the college and so, my new lecturer told me to submit an EC. Maths Test 1 comprises only 35marks and it is supposedly from Chapter 1-Chapter6. I sat and paid for the EC, sat for a Re-Sit paper with other failing students from other intakes. The Re-Sit paper covered Chapter 1-12 and accumulates a total of 100 marks. See what I am mad about here? I went to see the lecturer after that and yet he told me he can’t do much. I am sure the 100marks pulled me down because I scored 26/30 for both my assignments. So I just needed 20 marks to pass.

When everyone elses marks are divided into 100, mine was over 165. So now? Get me? Eventhough I failed by just 3-5 marks, the fact is I failed. It somehow hits me really hard.

And what is with other lecturers marking my papers apart from my lecturers or tutors. What justice does this brings to me? My COS (ex-PDSM tutor) lecturer was caught by suprised too when she found out that it wasn’t mark by my PDSM Lecturer. Where is this bringing me too? Reasonably, my ITB teacher has been teaching us to write in point form in exams. Other lecturers on Essay form. So who is right? Who is wrong? Am I suppose to know who is marking my paper next and answer to their style? It is so not fixed here.

I know I am student. Students are never right and teachers are always right. Many teachers and lecturers fail to recognise that we are students, humans too. And yet the expect the highest of the highest from us. And when we fail to do their expectations, they complain, they scold and they even punish. Can’t they sometime give us the freedom to voice out our opinions and thoughs which sometimes might bring some benefit to both parties? Why are we often restricted to what we say and what we do in class? And worst still, to polish your shoes, we need to do all kinds of things that you like.

Why always stand so firm and insisting you are right and we are wrong when we are just giving out ideas? I supposed you have to be fair to us. Listen to us. And maybe sometimes you might not think of what we can bring up to you. Many students I’ve heard give up straight away when they hear that they have to approach their teachers or lecturers. The mindset in us is that, ‘They win, we lose. So whatever’. Give us a chance. I understand we may be offensive and rude at times, call us immature. The thing is not about the ‘dfb*d*fbk*dbf’ word that we use, but it is about the context of what we are trying to say. I know sometimes we fail to express ourselves. This is when your patience comes in?

Just for the sake of your egos, we may sometimes even have to suffer for the wrong decisions that you have made. I know you must have a greater ego than we do. Greater standings but sometimes you just fails to understand the point. That is why sometimes I find younger teachers or lecturers are easier to relate too. No offense to the teachers or lecturers but sometimes you fail to see what we think about you, what we think about the matter.

Being younger than you may also brings us benefits. We have less things to worry about unlike you, so somethings that we may have thought may never be what you think. Why God say, ‘Have faith like little children?’. Because little children just trust without asking. They are so innocent. Similarly, trust us sometimes. Give us chance to speak. Give us time to talk. Communication in class is not just 1 way. It is 2 ways. We speak, you listen, You speak, we listen. That would definitely make a class a more enjoyable place isn’t it?

You are teachers and lecturers, we respect you. But we respect you for what you have done for us and how much you have put in for us. Not for your endless fruitless nagging and torturing. I’ve seen good, stern and firm teachers producing excellent students. Sometimes, pushing us harder may cause us to rebel towards you even more. I would personally say, you make us who we are. You make us respect, You also make us rebel. Think twice before lecturing us sometimes? We love you and we do think about you when we reach home with the subject.

While typing this, I am still ill. I wonder why it takes more than 2 days. The headache is so strong. I didn’t really sleep. My real slept was approximately 4am yesterday. Rolling and rolling on the bed since like 10pm? It is starting to get annoying. Trying all kinds of methods. From salt water to honey and to fruits and to water and to rest and to Malaysian panadols, Australian panadols to Strepsils and Dequadins. It is so pain that I can’t do my assignment properly yesterday. Was so blur altough I wanted to. I know, thanks to FTC and CTL I got this sickness. They are both still sick too now. Flu, flam, cough etc etc. It is not fun not being able to sleep and when you are in pain. Trust me.

OMG. It’s terrible to know that I am sick. At this time where I think lectures and tutorials are just starting to get into me. Although I’ve always been hoping to be sick during the weekdays but this point when assignment are due to release, mid tests are coming. I got myself sick. Had a terrible flu. Having terrible headache. Having painful sore throat. Even in college before I came back. And I felt I have fever when I came back. Not forgetting, I lost my voice. While I am typing this, mucus overflowing, so on and so forth. Gross. I know. But really, wrong time to be sick.

It’s been some time since I last got ill. The last time was probably months ago. Every time I get sick, my mom wouldbe telling me that it was my fault for eating the heaty stuffs and so on. But I was just thinking and I thought this time I probably got it from my classmates as they have also been falling ill. But knowing me, I kept justifying to her that it wasn’t my fault. But after some time, I gave up.

Taking in the pain when one is sick is the most torturing. Although I won’t say that missing lectures and tutorials will be fun cause I know the workload that I will get the next day when I am back. And telling myself to make cheese cakes for my coursemates on Sunday night for Monday. It seems that I forgotten. And when I planned to make it tonight for tomorrow’s class. I failed again miserably for everyone is telling me to get well soon first, which includes my mum. Great procrastinator, I am huh?

On the other hand, it was hilarious how my dad got in to the new house yesterday. Yesterday was the final day of the handing over of the keys. Yet, the owned didn’t hand in the keys. So the impatient dad broke all the chains and all and went in. I am preparing myself mentally for the shift. Physically too. I know I ought to see arguments and all. But looking at the brighter side, I should be happy for a new house. A bigger one. The one I insisted I wanted although it was beyond dad’s budget. I am grateful. But it’s tedious during the shifting period. What more throwing of your things as you won’t want to bring everything over. I really hope I can keep certain things that I have with me. Let’s see how things go.