PPSMI: It is the concept, not the language

Feizrul Nor Nurbi

October 30, 2011 Lately, it is interesting to note the shift in stand by proponents of Teaching of Mathematics and Science in English (PPSMI) generally, and specifically the group calling itself Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia (PAGE). No, not that they somehow understand the folly of their campaign in reintroducing PPSMI in Malaysian schools, but rather the refocusing on their raison d’être - from  arguing that PPSMI will improve the standard of English in Malaysian schools - to the argument that PPSMI will help to empower the nation in the field of Science and Mathematics.

The class war in our education system

Feizrul Nor Nurbi, Shah Alam

There has been an audible cry made by the supporters of Teaching of Mathematics and Science in English (PPSMI) for the policy to be reinstated as an option in the national education system. An option here means schools are able to choose whether to continue teaching Mathematics and Science in English or revert to pre-PPSMI medium of instruction, being Bahasa Melayu in national schools or Tamil/Mandarin in vernacular schools. While on the surface it seems fair to consider this demand from the groups, digging a bit deeper exposes the dire ramification if this choice is given. Firstly, succumbing to this demand will open the proverbial floodgates of never-ending demands from irrational parents acting on the pretense that their demands are just for the good of their children.

Manila must stop the bombings

S.M.Mohamed Idris, Penang

Citizens International condemns the bombing of villages and communities in Mindanao by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) which has killed, and caused massive displacement, of civilians. The bombing is in retaliation for the 31 Filipino soldiers killed during an attack on the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Basilan in Mindanao. The attack by two Philippine Army platoons in an area deep inside MILF territory forms a pattern of violations by the AFP of the ceasefire agreement still in force. AFP has carried out attacks in Western Mindanao despite MILF objections to deployment of troops in areas with predominantly Moro population. We call on President Benigno Aquino to take urgent steps to stop the bombing and cease all military operations on the ground, and expedite the peace negotiation. In August this year President Aquino and MILF chief Hadji Murad Ebrahim met in Japan and agreed to fast-track the negotiations but that has not happened. The talks have stalled because of the Philippine government’s refusal to respect previous agreements signed by its predecessors and wanting to start from scratch.

Don't run away from international laws on refugees

Renuka T Bala, Kuala Lumpur

Lawyers for Liberty once again calls upon prime minister Najib Razak not to dilute the protection that international law accords to refugees. With the purported agenda of busting people smuggling and combating human trafficking, the Malaysian government, has reiterated its determination to revive the scandalous refugee swap deal despite the Australian High Court's finding which declared the deal  illegal. Given the findings of the Australian High Court that the minister in charge  was unable to satisfy the Court that Malaysia had fulfilled three important criteria that would deem it safe for asylum seekers, the Malaysian prime minister's insistence that refugees are treated very well rings hollow.

The Hajj: An Introduction

Ismail Ibrahim Nawwab

October 30, 2011 The Hajj—the Pilgrimage to Makkah—is essentially a series of rites performed in and near Makkah, the holiest of the three holy cities of Islam—Makkah, Madinah and Jerusalem. As it is one of the five pillars of Islam—that is, one of five basic requirements to be a Muslim—all believers, if they can afford it and are healthy enough, must make this Pilgrimage at least once in their life. The Hajj must be made between the eighth and the 13th days of the 12th month (called Dhu al-Hijjah) of the Muslim lunar year. Donning the Ihram In a general sense, the Pilgrimage begins with the donning of the Ihram, a white seamless garment reminiscent of the robes worn by the Patriarch Abraham (the same Abraham known to Jews and Christians from the Bible) and Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam. The Ihram is also a symbol of the pilgrims' search for purity and their renunciation of mundane pleasures. For men this garment consists of two lengths of white material, one covering the body from waist to ankle, the other thrown over the shoulder. For women it is customarily—but not necessarily—a simple white gown and a headcovering without a veil.

Nasib Orang Asli di pedalaman Kelantan terbela

Mohd Nor Yahya

KOTA BHARU, 30 Okt: Sebelum ini ada pihak mendakwa masyarakat Orang Asli di Kelantan tersisih, sedangkan pelbagai usaha dilakukan kerajaan negeri bagi membela nasib mereka. Pada tahun lepas 75 keluarga masyarakat Orang Asli di Pos Sendrop menerima sijil penempatan berkelompok, di mana setiap keluarga mendapat dua ekar. Malah sejak 1990 sehingga sekarang pemimpin masyarakat Orang Asli dilantik sebagai ahli majlis Majlis Daerah Gua Musang dan penghulu tanpa mukim. Dan terbaru kawasan seluas 606.6 ekar di penempatan Orang Asli di Pos Jerdip akan diisytiharkan sebagai Rizab Penempatan Orang Asli, Selasa ini. Pos tersebut terletak kira-kira 30 km dari Bandar Gua Musang, berada di lokasi strategik antara Kawasan Perancangan Pusat Pentadbiran Broke dan Bandar Peranginan Sigar.

Bohong: Pelabur takut undang-undang Islam

Abdul Aziz Mustafa

KUALA LUMPUR, 30 Okt: Dakwaan kononnya perlaksanaan undang-undang Islam menakutkan pelabur adalah pembohongan, kata Timbalan Presiden PAS, Mohamad Sabu. "Kita ambil Iran sebagai contoh. Walaupun melaksanakan undang-undang Islam, negara itu menerima pelaburan langsung asing (FDI) sehingga US$3.6 bilion tahun lalu. "Jika kuasa-kuasa besar tidak memaksakan sekatan atau sanction ke atas Iran, adalah diyakini jauh lebih banyak FDI melimpah masuk ke negara itu," katanya. Presiden MCA, Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek semalam dilaporkan mendakwa perlaksanaan undang-undang hudud akan menyebabkan negara ini mundur serta menakutkan pelabur asing dan pelancong.

Hutang P Pinang RM630 juta tinggal RM30 juta

Mohd Sabri Said

TASEK GELUGOR, 30 Okt: Ketua Menteri Pulau Pinang, Lim Guan Eng berkata, kerajaan negeri berjaya mengurangkan hutang negeri sebanyak 95 peratus iaitu penurunan kadar pinjaman dari RM630 juta kepada RM30 juta setakat ini. Baginya, penurunan kadar hutang itu satu kejayaan bagi Kerajaan Pakatan Rakyat setelah tiga tahun mengambil alih pemerintahan dari Barisan Nasional (BN). "Rakyat jangan risau lagi tentang hutang kerajaan negeri yang dulunya begitu banyak tetapi hasil daripada jimat cermat dalam urus tadbir, kita berjaya membayar balik pinjaman kepada Bank Negara.  Semua itu berpunca dari amalam yang bersih tidak mengamalkan rasuah," jelasnya semasa berucap pada program ceramah perdana bersama Menteri Besar Kelantan di Dewan Besar Sungai Dua, Tasek Gelugor, malam tadi.

BN Sabah gagal selesakan hidup rakyat

Mohd Firdaus

KOTA KINABALU, 30 Okt: Ketua Penerangan PAS Negeri Sabah, Hishammudin Sulaiman berkata, kerajaan BN negeri pimpinan Datuk Seri Musa Aman sekarang tidak membawa apa-apa perubahan yang signifikan kepada rakyat sejak BN menguasai negeri ini. “Sudah sampai masanya Umno BN mengangkat bendera putih,” kata Hishammudin dalam Sidang Media selepas perasmian Majlis Konvokesyen Pasti Kawasan Kota Kinabalu di Dewan Saadah, Wisma MUIS di sini pagi tadi. “Kerajaan Sabah dilihat begitu banyak kepincangan dan ketirisan sama ada sektor pentadbiran atau pengurusan. Tidak banyak pembangunan yang dibuat berlandaskan kepada keselesaan rakyat,” tambah Hishammudin lagi.

Audit: Kalau negara lain, sudah lama BN dihukum

Khairil Abdul Rahim

TEMERLOH, 30 Okt: Setiausaha Agung Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), Saifuddin Nasution Ismail berkata, jika di negara lain, kerajaan BN yang ada sudah lama dihukum oleh rakyat berikutan perbelanjaan boros dan tidak berhemat menguruskan wang negara. Tambah Ahli Parlimen Machang itu, malangnya di negara ini rakyat seolah-olah tidak prihatin menyebabkan penyelewengan dan ketirisan makin menjadi-jadi walaupun setiap tahun ditegur oleh Ketua Audit Negara. “Laporan Ketua Audit Negara (LKAN) Tahun 2010 yang baru kami ahli-ahli parlimen terima minggu lalu mendedahkan pelbagai kepincangan pengurusan dalam agensi kerajaan. “Sebagai contoh Giat Mara membeli gula 150 kilogram dengan wang sebanyak RM25,000, ini bermakna gula yang berharga RM2.30 menjadi RM170 sekilo. Teropong untuk tentera laut yang berharga sekitar RM3,000, mereka beli RM56,000.

Elton John: Dr Asri dicabar tunjuk mana salah

Nazri Abdullah

GOMBAK, 30 Okt: Ketua Dewan Pemuda PAS Pusat, Nasruddin Hassan tidak bersetuju dengan pandangan Prof Madya Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin yang mengaitkan dewan itu dengan 'Taliban' ekoran membantah konsert rock melibatkan penyanyi gay, Elton John. Menyifatkan pandangan bekas mufti Perlis itu sebagai "belum mengenali pemuda PAS", beliau juga berkata kenyataan Dr Asri itu juga boleh memberi tanggapan salah masyarakat terhadap sayap PAS itu. "Mengganggap pemuda PAS diresapi unsur Taliban adalah anggapan keterlaluan dan boleh memberi gambaran salah kepada masyarakat. Bukan baru kita nyatakan bantahan terhadap konsert sebegini.

Umno 'beri lesen' MCA hina Islam?

Harakahdaily

KUALA LUMPUR, 30 Okt: PAS mempersoal adakah benar kononya Umno mahu memperjuangkan Islam sedangkan parti itu hanya diam membisu ketika MCA sedang berpesta menghina Islam. AJK PAS Pusat, Idris Ahmad berkata, kenyataan menghina Islam terbaru dari Presiden MCA, kononnya hukum Islam menjejaskan ekonomi dan membawa kemunduran, seperti "direstui" Umno dan NGO yang pro mereka. "Di mana suara Umno ketika MCA biadab dengan Islam? Di manakah NGO Pro-Umno ketika pemimpin MCA menghina Islam degan penuh emosi? Kenapa mereka menikus? "Apakah MCA berani menghina Islam kerana diberi lesen oleh Umno? Kenapa Umno tidak memberi amaran kepada MCA?," soalnya bertubi-tubi melalui satu kenyataan kepada Harakahdaily hari ini.

Bekerja seperti pilihan raya minggu ini

Nazri Abdullah

GOMBAK, 30 Okt: Ijtimak Tarbawi 2011, Deawan Pemuda PAS Pusat yang berakhir petang tadi melabuhkan tirainya dengan satu komitmen untuk memberi tumpuan sepenuhnya kepada gerak kerja pilihan raya. Bercakap selepas menyampaikan ucapan penutup petang tadi, Ketua Dewan Pemuda PAS, Nasruddin Hassan berkata, anggota dewan itu hari ini pulang dengan semangat berkobar-kobar untuk berkerja seperti 'pilihan raya minggu ini'. "Apa yang kita dapat dari ijtimak ini akan diteruskan bila balik ke kawasan masing-masing.

Siapa Pemilik Kapal Emas Ni???

 

Seorang ahli perniagaan dari Malaysia telah menempah dan memiliki sebuah kapal pesiaran supermewah di dunia. Kapal berharga US$ 3 bilion itu diperbuat daripada emas solid dan platinum!

Bukan itu saja, dinding kapal ruang utama menggunakan bahan terpilih yang amat sukar dicari di muka bumi, iaitu tulang dinosaurus T-Rex dan batu meteor. Bahkan kapal milik jutawan yang identitinya dirahsiakan itu juga memiliki sauh daripada emas padu.

Adakah bintang Michelle Yeoh akan bersinar buat MCA di Perak?

 Melissa Lee

Apapun alasan yang akan diberikan oleh Michelle Yeoh, bintang Hollywood kelahiran Malaysia itu untuk bersara dari dunia bergemerlapan antarabangsa kepada adegan politik tempatan, beliau mungkin akan terlibat dengan BN dan MCA khususnya.
“Sesiapapun boleh menyertai politik jika orang itu mempunyai komitmen untuk berkhidmat dengan masyarakat. Tetapi, Michelle Yeoh akan menyertai MCA sekitanya beliau memilih politik. Beliau ialah penyokong tegar BN kerana bapanya Yeok Kian Geik merupakan pengerusi MCA Perak sebelum ini.  Beliau turut bergambar sebagai ‘ratu’ BN semasa pilihanraya yang lalu menuntut rakyat mengundi BN. “Saya ragu tentang kelayakannya kerana beliau tidak pernah tidak-berpihak (imparsial) selama ini,” ujar Ahli Parlimen Taiping, Nga Kor Ming kepada Malaysia Chronicle.

Muhyiddin goes for political gain, gives English the shove

Written by  Douglas Tan

Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin must be under the sincere belief that political gain is more important than the education of our next generation. By pushing through his anti-PPSMI rhetoric, Form Four students will find themselves in limbo after being told that they would have to sit their SPM exams in Bahasa Malaysia, despite being taught in English for their entire school lives thus far.
The Education Ministry is being simply irresponsible for refusing to introduce the dwibahasa system in order to better facilitate the transition. The Deputy Minister's excuse that teachers are unable to speak English, let alone teach in it, is simply a cop-out and utterly inexcusable.

PPSMI not Muhyiddin's call alone, let parents decide

Written by  Tony Pua

The Ministry of Education must allow for flexibility in the teaching of Mathematics and Science in English policy.
The DAP wishes to state our position in support of the teaching of Mathematics and Science in English (PPSMI) in schools where a determined majority of parents have expressed a preference for it. This is especially in urban schools where the level of competency in English is substantially higher than the rural districts.
DAP Parliamentary Leader Lim Kit Siang had 2 years ago called upon the Cabinet to endorse "the call of Parents Action Group for Education (Page) that schools should be given the option to teach science and mathematics in Bahasa Malaysia or English or in one’s mother tongue" and maintain "the use of English as medium of instruction for mathematics and science in secondary schools".

Pro-English group PAGE to hand over appeal to Najib on Monday

Written by  Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim

The Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia (PAGE) is ever more determined to urge the Government to retain the teaching and learning of Science and Mathematics in English (PPSMI) as an option in primary and secondary national schools as the year draws to an end. We stand firm that PPSMI is for a better future for our children and for the country.
Parents are devastated and so are their children.
Unacceptable reasons
The reason given by the Deputy Prime Minister that if schools were left to choose the medium of instruction for these two core subjects, teachers would be in a mess, is unacceptable. After running this policy for nine years, all science and mathematics teachers, should be able to teach in either language so there is no shortage. If the number of schools that choose English are small, then it would be even easier to provide the teachers. The reasons should be addressed head-on and not swept under the carpet after spending RM3 billion of the rakyat’s hard earned income. We want an explanation.

No two ways about it: If M'sia is to be competitive, the NEP has to go!

Written by  Maclean Patrick 

The main hindrance to competitiveness in the Malaysian business sphere is the government’s own insistence that there should be no competition when it comes to any or all their ventures. We have in place huge monopolies in oil, electricity generation and even television; in which the government holds strategic stakes that basically curtails and dampens any form of competitiveness.
Dismantling these systems is something the BN is not prepared to do. Its own component parties, Umno in particular, hold large stakes in these monopolies.
Prime Minister Najib Razak’s recent call for meritocracy amongst the bumiputera community means allowing the best Malays in the country to emerge through competition amongst themselvesbut not through competition with other races whether in the country or from overseas.
It has nothing to do with abolishing policies that favour the Bumiputera. This itself makes a mockery of his other statement that the economy will continue to be liberalized. It takes two hands to clap and liberalization cannot take place with competition and meritocracy. So as usual, clueless Najib was speaking in a fog of his own making.