"Malaysia merupakan sebuah negara yang berbilang kaum , Oleh sebab itu perpaduan haruslah dijaga demi kedaulatan negara.."
"Malaysia is a country made up of different races, which is why unity is so important for the sake of the independence of the country.." (direct translation from malay, pardon the slight un-sync)
The above is probably the most common introduction for an essay for typical Malaysian student when given an essay about unity. The points are almost always the same.
1. Send kids to sekolah wawasan.
2. Synchronize the education system used.
3. Create opportunities for unity building (i.e sports, festival celebration,PLKN etc)
In all honesty, Half the points we usually give in essays for the precious A+ fail to work in reality. I'm gonna start with the 1st point, sending kids to sekolah wawasan. I have friends who come from sekolah wawasan and it's basically putting SJK(C), SJK(T) and SK together in one place and the only time the students from respective school meet is during assembly where students are asked to shut up or risk the wrath of the teachers. Pray tell, how does this boost unity?
Students should at least be involved with each other during after school co-curricular activities or maybe if they could, during P.E. Sometimes kids learn better from kids, do it whilst they are at the age where they don't know the meaning of race. Let them spend time together, play together and take part in activities together after school. That's the least they could do if they really want to build a strong base for unity. Have you ever worked on a project with a total stranger before and you guys ended up having this strong invisible bond? If not I urge you to take part in life more, life isn't about me. Its about we. (yes, I'm indirectly saying you're lifeless,so there =P)
The second point, synchronizing the education system. There's been frequent uproars to abolish chinese primary schools since it THREATENS unity. I suppose it does contribute a bit to the problem but to say that it threatens unity is a bit too much now isn't it? Are chinese teachers brainwashing students to take over the world with chopsticks and calligraphy brushes? ( On second thought, that sounds kind of cool) . To abolish chinese schools will take lots of work and persuasion as the chinese of Malaysia worked tirelessly and paid a huge price to protect our right to learn chinese even after moving out from China. ("pack yo bags, I smell nasi lemak in the south east")
Let's say they do abolish vernacular schools. The students would be spending lots of time together, that's a given. What about the subjects? I'm sure everyone knows that language isn't a read the facts and score A subject. It requires daily input which points to the next problem. What happens to the language subjects? I suppose they could switch classes when it's time for the language subjects.
During my time, I had to learn the same subject in two different languages. Maths and science in mandarin and english. What about now? Are the classes conducted in Malay? or English? (I'm excluding mandarin since we're taking the example of a school after abolishing vernacular schools)
I honestly think that the textbooks should be in English. The class can be conducted in dual language depending on the teacher. I mean, c'mon la. English tu penting tau. Time to show the penjajah-penjajah tanah melayu that we can whoop their ass in their own mother tongue.
Face it, Though Bahasa Melayu is the beloved national language of Malaysia. What happens in Malaysia stays in Malaysia. You can't expect to turn on CNN or BBC channel with a reporter speaking in Bahasa Malaysia. To go international and for the sake of globalization, this is a must . Let everyone speak english. Not only the rich. Not only the kids from urban areas of Malaysia. You'd be surprise on how people who don't speak english react to the ones who do. They don't reflect on it but get cocky and make it a century old fact that they can't speak because they're not good enough.
The mindset is already fixed in their mind that they can't because they're not good enough. This is why a school that offers education in english is important. It provides a platform for kids to learn English at an environment where English is the only way to talk to people around. When you have no choice, you adapt.
This had worked wonders for me who came from a typical chinese family which spoke no english at home. And yet, because of school and the people I spent time with. My english didn't falter just because of my family background and habits. At home I spoke my mother tongue which is actually sufficient to balance and prevent our own mother tongue from disappearing. Let there not be discrimination among each other for the grasp of languages we have but for the good and bad deeds we have condone.
Unity among Malaysians isn't gone nor is it weak. Its just shadowed by the doings of a small group of people who happen to be lifeless. Unity among Malaysians can't fully shine unless action is taken on these particular group/type of people who fail to realize the real meaning of unity. It is not the language you speak or the clothes you wear, it is the heart that brings all of us together. Unless we change our mindset, we'll forever be stuck as the rumored country between Singapore and Thailand in which the people lived in trees and spoke only of themselves.
"Malaysia is a country made up of different races, which is why unity is so important for the sake of the independence of the country.." (direct translation from malay, pardon the slight un-sync)
The above is probably the most common introduction for an essay for typical Malaysian student when given an essay about unity. The points are almost always the same.
1. Send kids to sekolah wawasan.
2. Synchronize the education system used.
3. Create opportunities for unity building (i.e sports, festival celebration,PLKN etc)
In all honesty, Half the points we usually give in essays for the precious A+ fail to work in reality. I'm gonna start with the 1st point, sending kids to sekolah wawasan. I have friends who come from sekolah wawasan and it's basically putting SJK(C), SJK(T) and SK together in one place and the only time the students from respective school meet is during assembly where students are asked to shut up or risk the wrath of the teachers. Pray tell, how does this boost unity?
Students should at least be involved with each other during after school co-curricular activities or maybe if they could, during P.E. Sometimes kids learn better from kids, do it whilst they are at the age where they don't know the meaning of race. Let them spend time together, play together and take part in activities together after school. That's the least they could do if they really want to build a strong base for unity. Have you ever worked on a project with a total stranger before and you guys ended up having this strong invisible bond? If not I urge you to take part in life more, life isn't about me. Its about we. (yes, I'm indirectly saying you're lifeless,so there =P)
The second point, synchronizing the education system. There's been frequent uproars to abolish chinese primary schools since it THREATENS unity. I suppose it does contribute a bit to the problem but to say that it threatens unity is a bit too much now isn't it? Are chinese teachers brainwashing students to take over the world with chopsticks and calligraphy brushes? ( On second thought, that sounds kind of cool) . To abolish chinese schools will take lots of work and persuasion as the chinese of Malaysia worked tirelessly and paid a huge price to protect our right to learn chinese even after moving out from China. ("pack yo bags, I smell nasi lemak in the south east")
Let's say they do abolish vernacular schools. The students would be spending lots of time together, that's a given. What about the subjects? I'm sure everyone knows that language isn't a read the facts and score A subject. It requires daily input which points to the next problem. What happens to the language subjects? I suppose they could switch classes when it's time for the language subjects.
During my time, I had to learn the same subject in two different languages. Maths and science in mandarin and english. What about now? Are the classes conducted in Malay? or English? (I'm excluding mandarin since we're taking the example of a school after abolishing vernacular schools)
I honestly think that the textbooks should be in English. The class can be conducted in dual language depending on the teacher. I mean, c'mon la. English tu penting tau. Time to show the penjajah-penjajah tanah melayu that we can whoop their ass in their own mother tongue.
Face it, Though Bahasa Melayu is the beloved national language of Malaysia. What happens in Malaysia stays in Malaysia. You can't expect to turn on CNN or BBC channel with a reporter speaking in Bahasa Malaysia. To go international and for the sake of globalization, this is a must . Let everyone speak english. Not only the rich. Not only the kids from urban areas of Malaysia. You'd be surprise on how people who don't speak english react to the ones who do. They don't reflect on it but get cocky and make it a century old fact that they can't speak because they're not good enough.
The mindset is already fixed in their mind that they can't because they're not good enough. This is why a school that offers education in english is important. It provides a platform for kids to learn English at an environment where English is the only way to talk to people around. When you have no choice, you adapt.
This had worked wonders for me who came from a typical chinese family which spoke no english at home. And yet, because of school and the people I spent time with. My english didn't falter just because of my family background and habits. At home I spoke my mother tongue which is actually sufficient to balance and prevent our own mother tongue from disappearing. Let there not be discrimination among each other for the grasp of languages we have but for the good and bad deeds we have condone.
Unity among Malaysians isn't gone nor is it weak. Its just shadowed by the doings of a small group of people who happen to be lifeless. Unity among Malaysians can't fully shine unless action is taken on these particular group/type of people who fail to realize the real meaning of unity. It is not the language you speak or the clothes you wear, it is the heart that brings all of us together. Unless we change our mindset, we'll forever be stuck as the rumored country between Singapore and Thailand in which the people lived in trees and spoke only of themselves.
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| the heart matters (credit to the one who owns this adorable cat) |
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