It's Official-Death Knell for English

The powers to be have spoken.

From 2012, both Science and Maths will revert to using Bahasa Malaysia in national schools and to the vernacular tongues in Tamil and Chinese schools.

The government today relented and buckled to political pressures to put an end to the polemics surrounding the issue of English as the medium of instruction for the teaching of Science and Mathematics.

Effectively, this Cabinet decision put paid to the fears of English being used as a passing criteria for SPM.

Only Form Six and matriculation will be allowed to use English in teaching these two subjects from now on and God knows whether they would have to re-learn Maths and Science in Bahasa Malaysia when they progress to national universities.

Sadly the ultra nationalists and vernacular language patriots have worn the battle,striking at the heart of Mahathir's arguments for using English in both the teaching of Science and Mathematics. This is one sad day for the ex-premier, I am sure.

Introduced in 2003, the policy has been heavily criticised by Chinese educationists and Malay language activists, but a recent survey by the independent Merdeka Center showed that 58 per cent of 1,060 voters interviewed supported the policy.

Expect an exodus of students to international schools as well as students leaving for foreign shores to further their education.

The clock is set back by easily another generation and the brain drain will continue as Malaysia becomes globally incapacitated by the lack of English skills.