KUALA LUMPUR: A fair portion of the RM82.1bil allocated for education in Budget 2025 should be used to boost English language proficiency, says Tunku Dara Tunku Tan Sri Naquiah.
The English Speaking Union of Malaysia (ESUM) chairman said the union is appealing to the government to allocate a specific budget to boost the standard of English taught in schools and universities.
“If such a significant budget is set aside, Malaysia can recruit competent English teachers and lecturers, including from foreign nations,” she said.
She added that the standard of English is declining among Malaysians because the language has been sidelined in the education system for a long time.
Tunku Dara then said that the government should embody the call by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on the importance of English.
She added that ESUM believes the lack of English proficiency among Malaysian graduates is a key factor contributing to the growing phenomenon of unemployed graduates in the country.
“Ask all employers, they would very much like to hire job-seekers with a good command of English,” she said.
Tunku Dara then said that ESUM also believes that more English teachers should be recruited to address the acute shortage.
In this regard, she suggested the government set up specific English language units at various teacher training colleges and universities.
Tunku Dara added that in the past, Malaysian senior civil servants and diplomats were admired by their counterparts in Asian countries for their English proficiency, but this is no longer the case.
“We need to restore our past reputation in English to move the country forward. It is not too late and better late than never,” she said.
