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English in Malaysia
Bernadette Foo and Cynthia Richards RELC Journal 2004 35: 229 DOI: 10.1177/003368820403500209 The online version of this article can be found at: http://rel.sagepub.com/content/35/2/229

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[RELC 35.2 (2004) 229-240] ISSN 0033-6882

ENGLISH IN MALAYSIA Bernadette Foo and Cynthia Richards

Mara University of Technology, Malaysia bfgee@lycos.com

ABSTRACT
This article seeks to lay out the use and importance of English in Malaysia from the time when the British ruled what was then Malaya to the present moment. When the British came to colonize the country, they brought with them their culture, their language and their beliefs. They introduced the English language as the medium of instruction in the primary and secondary schools. After Independence, nationalistic sentiments arose and in 1970, Bahasa Malaysia was introduced as the medium of instruction in the schools. With the advancement in science and technology and the advent of globalization, English regained part of its lost status. It is now taught in the schools both at the primary and secondary school level and it is also used to teach Science and Mathematics. Besides, it is the medium of instruction in the private colleges. Currently, the mastery of the English language is much encouraged at all levels of educationfrom the primary to the tertiary level. Moreover, English is much needed in the commercial and business sectors and as a result, besides the government-sponsored schools, many private and commercial institutions have mushroomed and English is taught for specic purposes.

Introduction English Language Teaching (ELT) in Malaysia was introduced by the British Government sometime in the early-nineteenth century. Since then, the use and importance of the English language has undergone many phases. This article sets out to give a historical account of English in Malaysia. The article will be divided into three parts: Pre-Independence, Post-Independence and into the Millennium and beyond.
2004 SAGE Publications (London, Thousand Oaks CA and New Delhi)

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Pre-Independence (before 1957) Education started out in Malaya in the form of religious schools. This continued until the arrival of the British who then set up English medium primary and secondary schools. Also during this period, the growth of the rubber and tin industry brought a large inux of Chinese and Indian migrants into Malaya. These migrants began to establish their own schools in which their mother tongue was the medium of instruction. Primary Malay medium schools were set up by the British to offer secular education for the Malays. Therefore, the system of education that existed in Malaya before Independence was very much a Fragmented Education system (Education in Malaya 1989, 1990: 2). Each ethnic group set up their own schools and there was no standard English curriculum. In Malayas move toward independence, English was made compulsory in all primary and secondary schools (Course of Studies Regulations 1956, II). However, this was not implemented in the vernacular schools (Malay, Chinese and Tamil medium schools), due to the lack of qualied teachers of English. During this time, the Government of Malaya saw a need to create a sense of identity through a society loyal to the nation, sharing common goals and aspiration (Rajaretnam and Nalliah 1999). To help achieve this, a committee was set up in 1955 under the chairmanship of the late Tun Abdul Razak, the Minister for Education in the Federation of Malaya Interim Government. The committees task was to: review the existing education system make recommendations on how to make Malay the national language of the country establish a national system of education for the people. In 1956, the report of the Education Committee, commonly referred to as the Razak Report, laid the foundations of the present education system in the country. The recommendations of the Razak Report are as follows: The setting up of a national school system in which Malay would be the medium of instruction. The teaching of Malay and English as compulsory subjects. It was essential to make Malay the national language of the country and teach English for employment opportunities and for higher education. The introduction of a common content syllabus irrespective of the medium of instruction and the administration of common exami-

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nations in the school system. It was hoped that it would orientate the school system to a Malaysian outlook. The National Education Policy was to be implemented within a period of ten years (The Razak Report 1956: 3). Post-Independence to 1970 Although the Malay language was declared the national language after Independence, English was still used as the ofcial language. Moreover, English remained the medium of instruction in all national type schools until the Malay language took over. In 1960, a committee under the chairmanship of the late Abdul Rahman bin Talib, who was then Minister of Education, was set up to review the implementation of the National Education Policy as set out in the recommendations of the Razak Report. The report of the Education Review Committee, commonly referred to as the Rahman Talib Report, made the following recommendations: To uphold the recommendations of the Razak Report. To have a bilingual (Malay and English) medium of education in the schools. It was hoped that this would help unite the different races in Malaysia. To set up remove classes for students from vernacular schools, where students spent one extra year learning English or Malay. This was to help in the transition between primary education in the vernacular languages. The Razak and the Rahman Talib Reports formed the basis of the Education Act 1961. The Act dened the different medium schools in Malaysia as follows: Malay medium schools as national schools Vernacular and English medium schools as national type schools. The underlying implications of the National Education Policy as dened in the Education Act 1961, was that the Malay language would eventually become the medium of instruction in schools. English would then become an important second language in the country. Given below are some important scenarios that arose before the National Education Policy was fully implemented in 1970: Due to political and economic disparities within the country, the issue of implementing the national language as the sole medium of instruction at the expense of putting an end to ELT as a medium

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Regional Language Centre Journal 35.2 (2004) of instruction appeared to be a bone of contention in the Malaysian Political Scenario, during this period (Rajaretnam and Nalliah 1999). Although the teaching of English was made compulsory throughout the school system there was no common content syllabus. There was one syllabus for the national type English schools and another for the non-English medium schools including the national schools. Until 1965, the schools used the structural syllabus in English for the use in primary schools where English was not the medium of instruction (Sarogini 1969). In 1965, there was a common content ELT syllabus for the primary level as well as the Remove Forms. The pedagogical guideline recommended was the use of the Structural Situational method or the Oral Method. The secondary schools used two different syllabuses to learn English. The Syllabus for the Secondary Schools (Malay Medium): English (1966) and The Syllabus for the Secondary Schools (English Medium): English (1968). The two English language examination papers offered were the Syllabus 121 for national type secondary schools and the English 122 for national schools (Abu Samah 1983). It was only in 1968, that efforts were made to gradually implement the National Education Policy. The national type English schools were slowly converted to National schools in stages. However, the national type Chinese and Tamil primary schools were retained. For students entering Primary 1, ve out of eight subjects were taught in the National Language. Only Mathematics and Science were still taught in English. In July 1969, after the inter-ethnic riots, the Ministry of Education issued a directive that all subjects be taught in Bahasa Malaysia in all national type English schools in stages with effect from January 1970. English was only a second language taught in schools.

Period from 1970 to 1990 The period from 1970 to 1990 saw the implementation of the National Education Policy which led to the conversion of the national type English schools to the national schools, beginning in Primary 1 that year. From then on, it was the governments policy to phase out the English language as the medium of instruction. Also, there was now a common content syl-

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labus for English for the primary and secondary schools in the country, therefore, resulting in a common examination paper for the country. An ad hoc committee was set up (Richards 1979) to draw up a common content syllabus for the ELT in the national primary schools. This structural syllabus was called The English Syllabus for Use in Standard One to Standard Six of the Post 1970 National Primary Schools (1971). It was the rst common ELT syllabus for use in the school system in West Malaysia. The same syllabus was also implemented in the national type Chinese and Tamil primary schools. However, in these schools, English was introduced only in Standard Three. The syllabus advocated the use of the Structural Situational approach to language teaching or the Oral Method. After having completed the Post1970 Primary English Syllabus (1971), the students would then enter lower secondary schools in 1976. The new English syllabus for the lower secondary was called The English Syllabus for Tingkatan / Form One to Form Three of the Secondary Schools in Malaysia (1973). It was also the structural syllabus advocating the use of the Structural Situational approach to language teaching. Students of Form 4 and 5 were taught using The English Language Syllabus in Malaysian Schools Tingkatan EmpatTingkatan Lima (1980) or The Malaysian Communicational Syllabus (Asiah Abu Samah 1983). This syllabus was basically a task-oriented, situational syllabus. Although English was now only a second language, The Third Malaysian Plan 19761980 recognized the role of English in international trade and commerce as well as the language used in science and technology. This had a great inuence when the Upper Secondary English Syllabus was drawn up, for example there was a need for Malaysia to have its people uent in English as an international language to help realize its aspirations. Therefore, at the end of 1974, the Malaysian Curriculum Development Center (CDC) drew up the Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) based syllabus. The CDC formulated the CLT syllabus based on the manpower needs of the nation as envisaged in The Third Malaysia Plan. This was also in keeping with the universalistic trends in ELT which was moving toward a communicative approach (Richards and Rodger 2001). Therefore, in keeping with the Education Enactment Bill 1971, the transition from English to Malay as the medium of instruction began in schools in 1970 and was implemented at the university level in 1983. However, it was once again felt that there were weaknesses in the education system. The enhancement of the role of Bahasa Malaysia and the corresponding reduction in the role of English led to a decrease in the

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amount of exposure to English for the students. This reduction in exposure and the natural cross-fertilization between Bahasa Malaysia and various other ethnic languages such as Tamil and Cantonese led to the changes in the nature and development of English. In this context, English could not help but be inuenced by the various other languages and develop into a number of different varieties (Gill 2002). There were two major discrepancies of the existing ELT syllabuses: 1. Three different committees drew up the three syllabuses for primary, lower secondary and forms 4 and 5. As a result, the ELT syllabuses were created in isolation of each other and not as part of the whole curriculum. In emphasizing the need for a common content syllabus with the nationalization of the school system, little consideration was paid to students from non-English speaking backgrounds (Rajaretnam and Nalliah 1999). The syllabus was designed more for students who were constantly exposed to English. Therefore, students whose background was not English speaking or who were from the rural areas left the education system with very low prociency in English.

2.

Due to these discrepancies, there was a need to review these syllabuses. A committee was set up to reassess the syllabuses and a report was submitted in 1979 under the chairmanship of Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who was then Minister of Education. The following conditions were noted: There was a need for the implementation of a national curriculum as opposed to the existing subject-oriented curriculum Most of the subject matter contained foreign elements which made it difcult for the students to relate to. There was no emphasis on basic education, that is the acquisition of the three Rsreading, writing and arithmeticat the primary level. There was a need for a curriculum to equip students with skills and knowledge that would enable them to enter the job market or further their education after school. The importance of being procient in English to acquire knowledge in the eld of Science and Technology. ELT in Malaysian schools should emphasize more oral activities that would help students relate the language to the environment.

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This led to the revamping of the national school curriculum. In 1989 the KBSR (Kurikulum Baru Sekolah Rendah) and KBSM (Kurikulum Baru Sekolah Menengah) were introduced. These two syllabuses were the new English curriculum for the primary and secondary schools in Malaysia. Millennium and Beyond By the year 2000, the new syllabuses for the primary and secondary schools were fully implemented. Both syllabuses were introduced taking into consideration the status of English as language second only to Bahasa Malaysia. The Cabinet Report on the Review of the Implementation of the Education Policy 1979 states that English is taught in the schools to empower the students to use English in everyday situations and also to prepare them for higher education. The aim of teaching English to the students is to help them function appropriately in the business, and commercial sectors. It is hoped that the English curriculum for primary schools would provide a strong foundation in the English language for the students. If the foundation is strong, students will be able to build on the language as they proceed to higher grades in school and hopefully by the time they are ready for tertiary education, they will be equipped to deal with the English that is necessary to follow the courses taught in the different institutes of higher learning. In the KBSR curriculum the aims and objectives are stated thus: Aims: The English language syllabus for primary schools aims to equip learners with basic skills and knowledge of the English language so as to enable them to communicate, both orally and in writing, in and out of school. Objectives: By the end of their primary school education learners should be able to: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) listen to and understand simple, spoken English in certain given contexts; ask and answer questions, speak and express themselves clearly to others using simple language; acquire good reading habits to understand, enjoy and extract information from a variety of texts; write legibly and express ideas in simple language; and show an awareness and appreciation of moral values as well as love for the nation (Curriculum Development Center, KBSR 2001).

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This curriculum (KBSR) is organized in such a way as to reect the English language needs in the everyday life of the Malaysian society. The learning outcomes are based on the four language skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. The four skills are taught incorporating the use of good grammar, the English sound system, and the use of appropriate vocabulary. Although English is taught within the school context, emphasis is given to its use in the workplace. In addition, thinking skills, values and citizenship education are also incorporated in the curriculum. As English is the main language used in Information and Communications Technology, an ICT component is also included in the curriculum. It is imperative for the students to be exposed to the English used in the ICT world so that they can communicate more effectively in the language both locally and globally.
The English curriculum uses knowledge not only from subject disciplines such as science and geography to provide the content for learning but also from current issues. Wherever possible, learners are to carry out project work so that they will apply inquiry skills to solve problems and issues. Learners with issues and concerns in their surroundings, i.e. the school, town, and country and later the learners will progress to issues and concerns outside the country. These activities will assist them to discuss and analyse issues and at the same time instill in them the habit of acquiring knowledge throughout their lives (Curriculum Development Center, KBSM 2001).

As for the Secondary English Syllabus (KBSM) a small literature component has been included to the curriculum. This is done to enable the students to engage in wider reading of good works for enjoyment and for self-development. In the process of dealing with the stories and verses in literature, it is hoped students will develop an understanding of other cultures, values and traditions that will enhance their spiritual and emotional growth. The teaching of English to acquire knowledge, to communicate with people effectively and to enjoy reading literary works all seek to fulll the aims and objectives of the National Philosophy of Education and the Educational Act of 1996. The aims and objectives of the Secondary School Syllabus are as follows: Aims: The syllabus aims to extend learners English language prociency in order to meet their needs to use English in certain situations in everyday life, for knowledge acquisition, and for future needs in the workplace. Objectives: By the end of their secondary school education, learners should be able to:

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(2)

(3)

(4)

form and maintain relationships through conversations and correspondence; take part in social interaction; and interact to obtain goods and services; obtain, process and use information from various audiovisual and print sources, and present the information in spoken and written form; listen to, view, read and respond to different texts, and express ideas, opinions, thoughts and feelings imaginatively and creatively in spoken and written form; and show an awareness and appreciation of moral values and love towards the nation.

This English language curriculum (KBSM) is geared towards equipping the students to function appropriately in everyday life, when they have to communicate with people, access information and when they have to understand and respond to literary works. As in the primary syllabus, the learning outcomes are based on the four language skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. It also includes the teaching of grammar, the English sound system and the appropriate use of vocabulary. The curriculum also takes into account other educational emphases such as thinking skills, ICT skills and values and citizenship education. English for Science and Technology With the advent of globalization and the rapid growth in information and communications technology (ICT), the world is wired and there is a great increase in international exchanges in every sphere of life. The Malaysian government, is very much aware of the importance of the English language in commerce, science and technology. As a result of globalization, there was a realization for a need to reintroduce English as a medium of instruction. Dr Mahathir (then Prime Minister) clearly stated:
To compete on equal terms with the worlds most advanced countries, Malaysiansas well as most other Asian nationalitiesstill have some way to go. There are skills that must be learned and values that may yet have to change We do not become European simply because we wear a coat and a tie, speak English and practise democracy instead of feudalism. We have to learn the language of telecommunications, of computers, of the Internet (Mahathir Mohamad 1999: 40).

It is with this kind of awareness that the English for Science and Technology syllabus is introduced. It is offered as an elective at the upper

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secondary level and students who choose to do it have to study English as outlined in the general English syllabus. The focus of the English for Science and Technology syllabus is the Informational component taken from the General syllabus. The syllabus is organized in terms of acquiring information from various sources including the electronic media, processing that information, and presenting it for different purposes The English for Science and Technology syllabus seeks to:
lay the foundation in the use of English in the elds of science and technology not only for the present but also for further studies at the tertiary level. This programme does not aim to teach the subject matter of science, rather, it is designed to help students develop an ability to grasp basic concepts and ideas in science and to understand methods of scientic thoughts and enquiry in English common to all kinds of scientic and technical discourse. The knowledge gained will not only enhance personal learning but also enable learners to think critically of issues in science and technology (Curriculum Development Center 2001).

Science and Technology encompasses a wide area of information. For the purposes of this syllabus, areas covered include general science, physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, environmental education, and various technologies. Topics and themes are derived from these areas and as a result, learners are familiarized with the main scientic concepts in English. The use of authentic materials is encouraged and in the process, students learn the register used in science. Where texts need to be adapted to suit the level of understanding of the students, care is taken to make sure that the factual accuracy is not compromised. Higher education in Malaysia, up to 1990 has had a two-prong approach: (1) (2) Meeting the needs and demands of a growing population, Distributing tertiary education opportunities to redress ethnic balances (Gan and Azahari 2001).

With the governments aspirations to achieve developed nation status by the year 2020, the Higher Educational Institutions Act 1996 stated clearly that higher education plays an important role in training the people necessary for the academic as well as the manpower needs of the nation. From four public universities and a few private institutions in the 1960s there are now 14 public universities and over 400 private institutions for a population of over 20 million (Petersen 2001).

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In addition, English is also used in the science, engineering and medical courses in some of the universities and colleges. The rapid increase of private colleges which have twinning programmes with many foreign universities and colleges has led to and the importance of using English as the medium of instruction. Thus, English is used as a vehicle for acquiring knowledge in the institutes of higher learning and for communication in the business world both locally and internationally. This is to ensure:
that Malaysia is not left out in the global competition amongst higher institutions to become exporters of higher education, the government started planning for the nation to become a regional center of education. To provide the private eld with a competitive edge that was attractive to international students, Malaysia opened its doors to a model of transnational education with collaborative links with foreign institutions of higher learning (Saran K 2002).

As the international connections with other institutes of higher learning overseas grew, there is also a growing demand for English among foreign students who come to Malaysia to further their studies. Students from South-East Asia, China, parts of Africa and even Mongolia come to Malaysia to study and the common language used is English. There is denitely a great need for the use of English in the private institutes of higher learning. Conclusion The use and importance of the English Language in Malaysia has undergone many phases. It began with the British Rule in the seventeenth century when the English came and colonized the country. The presence of the colonial masters gave the English language pre-eminence in the government, business and social arenas. English was considered to be the language used by the elite of the country. Anyone who wanted to have their children progress in education, would send them to an English medium school. Thus the use of English was conned to a small group of people. After Independence, things began to change. There was an awareness of the need for a national identity. Policies regarding education and the use of English began to change. As a result various reports were commissioned by the government. Based on these reports, English was relegated to a subject that is compulsory to take, but not compulsory to pass. Bahasa Malaysia became the medium of instruction in all schools and English had a minor role in the education system by 1970. All this changed with the advancement of science and technology and the advent of globalization. Although English is once again given prominence, it is not the medium of

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instruction for all of the subjects in schools. There is now, at this current time, an acute awareness of the need to master English in order for the people of Malaysia to progress in all elds of life especially in business and commerce. English is here to stay for a long time until another language takes over as the lingua franca of the world.

REFERENCES
Asiah Abu Samah 1983 The English Language Communication Curriculum for Upper Secondary Schools in Malaysia: Rationale, Design and Implementation. Paper presented at RELC Regional Seminar on New Trends in Language Syllabus Design, Singapore. Bahasa Inggeris Untuk Sains Dan Teknologi 2001 Curriculum Development Center, Ministry of Education, Malaysia. Gill, S.K. 2002 International Communication: English Language Challenges for Malaysia, Jurnal Kementerian Pelajaran Malaysia 12.34 (Selangor, Universiti Putra Malaysia Press): 11-19. Kurikulum Bersepadu Sekolah Menengah (KBSM) 2001 Curriculum Development Center, Ministry of Education, Malaysia. Kurikulum Bersepadu Sekolah Rendah (KBSR). 2001 Curriculum Development Center, Ministry of Education, Malaysia. Mahathir, M. 1999 A New Deal for Asia (Petaling Jaya, Selangor: Pelandok Publications). Petersen, Cheryn 2001 Globalisation: Its Impact on the Educational System and Technology in Malaysia (Synopsis). Paper presented in Globalisation and Higher Education: Views from the South. 27-29 March 2001, Cape Town, South Africa. Rajaretnam, Thevy, and Mildred Nalliah 1999 The History of English language Teaching in Malaysia (Biroteks, ITM Shah Alam). Richards, Jack C., and Theodore Rodgers 2001 Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching: A Description and Analysis (New York: Cambridge University Press). Sarogini Devi 1969 The Teaching of English in Malay Medium Schools in Malaysia, Journal Kementerian Pelajaran Malaysia 12.34: 11-19. Siowck, L.G., and Azahari Ismail 1998 Education Reform towards the 21st Century: New Trends and Market Mechanicisms in Higher Education. Paper presented at the ASAIHIL Seminar on New Trends and Market Mechanisms in Higher Education, Jakarta, July 1998.

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