By Teo Cheng Wee, Regional Correspondent

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - A recent suggestion by Malaysia's education minister to make it compulsory to pass English before getting a high-school certificate has reignited the debate on falling English standards in the country.
Some laud Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's idea. Others are dead against it.

Earlier this week, Tan Sri Muhyiddin said he was surprised to find out that English was not a 'must pass' subject for the SPM - the Malaysian equivalent of Singapore's O levels. He also expressed shock that national schools were not teaching English grammar but 'communicative English', where students learnt the language for communication purposes only.

The simplified syllabus has resulted in students not knowing the difference between words like 'pain' and 'painful', The Star daily reported.

'They don't understand why they are wrong when they say 'it is very pain'. Students are given marks for using key words,' said one teacher.

Mr Muhyiddin felt that such policies have contributed to the declining standard of English in Malaysia. He wanted to make it compulsory to pass English to get an SPM certificate. 'English is a language of the world and business. It is an international means of communication,' he told reporters.

But the feedback he got the next day from the public, who inundated the ministry's phone lines, was a firm 'no'. Most of the 500 callers rejected such a move.

Subsequently, Mr Muhyiddin said he would not rush into making a decision.

Judging from the government's experience with the controversial policy of using English to teach maths and science, more commonly known by its Malay acronym PPSMI, the negative response came as no surprise.

PPSMI has been a political hot potato for the ruling Barisan Nasional since it was introduced in 2003, supposedly to improve English standards.

It was pushed through despite great resistance from parents, students and even teachers, and that unhappiness has boiled over in recent months.

In March, thousands took to the streets in downtown Kuala Lumpur to protest against the policy, which is currently being reviewed by the government.

Most Malaysians recognise that proficiency in English is important if the country wants to stay competitive. But the rural folk lament that there is no level playing field. Unlike the urbanites, they suffer from a lack of access to good English teachers and materials.

They also argue that they do not need to use English in everyday life, and that it would be unfair to penalise students in the rural areas by forcing them to pass the subject.

'Is the government prepared to commit financial resources, teaching manpower, infrastructure, an effective module and ensure a conducive learning environment?' asked one parent who wrote to the Malay mass-selling daily Utusan this week.

'We are aware of the limits and boundaries of the government. What will happen if a large group of students fail SPM just because they fail their English paper?'

The widespread unhappiness in the rural areas explains why officials like Mr Muhyiddin have been dealing with this issue cautiously.

Much of Umno's support comes from the large numbers of rural Malaysians, and the ruling party is careful not to offend them in these dicey political times even as it tries to push through policies deemed beneficial.

But Malaysian Chinese Association deputy president Chua Soi Lek said the country cannot put off this issue any longer. 'Progress waits for no man. We can spend our time arguing while the world progresses,' he wrote on his blog. 'We have to make a start somewhere.'

The million-dollar question, then, is how.

This article was first published in The Straits Times.