This article first appeared in Forum, The Edge Malaysia Weekly, on March 14 - 20, 2016.

The language issue has plagued Malaysians for a very long time and in my 65th year of being born a Malaysian, I thought I would pen a few lines on the matter. Having read many opinions, it is clear to me that my viewpoint will very much remain my viewpoint.

It would indeed be difficult to get a consensus on the issue. So everyone would be right in their viewpoint but not exactly covering all aspects of it, and not exactly addressing all areas of concern. I might as well write the conclusion: let it be your choice.

As an Indian Malaysian, I speak and write three languages: English, Malay and Tamil. English was my medium of instruction all the way up to university. Tamil, my mother tongue, was offered as a subject at MCE (Malaysian Certificate of Education) level and Malay was an important subject that one had to pass to get the certificate or even a degree from Universiti Malaya.

So, it is no surprise that my strongest language is English. I communicate well in English and it has helped me get my MBA from Cranfield, England, my professional certification in financial planning from the US and grounding in study and communication technology from Canada. I continue to read widely in English and scour the internet using English.

On my financial planning teaching engagements at university, as soon as I have explored a concept, I would ask my 80-odd students to explain in their own words what I had just said to their neighbour.

As I walked around, I would see Malay students explaining in Malay and Chinese students explaining in Chinese. There were no Indian students in that class. This simple phenomenon highlighted that people communicate in their own language of preference and strength, using English to receive, as the speaker spoke in English, but using their own vernacular to communicate freely.

This is where we are going. We have the Malays going to national schools, the majority of Chinese to Chinese vernacular schools and the Tamils to Tamil vernacular schools (the current MIC leader is looking at 60% at least).

Malaysia has a multicultural society with multiple languages cultivated and protected by the federal constitution because the independence of the nation was won by all these different cultures and races — a legacy of the British. But Malay or Bahasa Melayu is prominent as the national language and Islam as the official religion. But all languages and religions are constitutionally protected.

This being the case, it is simple logic that people will have an official national language but actively engage in their own mother tongue. Language is primarily a means of communication. Who really cares in what language knowledge or learning is acquired? The national language is important for national communication.

But forcing its use as the primary language of learning is like pushing a square peg into a round hole. Unless, of course, you are a communist country and there is only one central command. But Malaysia is a free democratic society that practises freedom of choice, movement and assembly. It is not a communist or police state.

So, Malaysians have to go easy when it comes to the language of learning. One would expect so much more freedom to practise one’s language and religion in Malaysia. That is the very fabric of Malaysian society. History has established that. So, it is up to us to gain the power of these important languages.

Malay, Chinese and Tamil are the spoken lingua franca of three major populous countries — Indonesia, China and India. And with English, we can carve out another billion to communicate with. But we find ourselves eroding our position of strength, where Malaysians can communicate with billions of people, with narrow viewpoints.

It is time to throw our chauvinistic narrow-mindedness into the bin. One must pass the national language as a subject with a view to national communication but Malaysians should be free to choose their language of learning (for education).

Universities, to stay relevant, will offer subjects in the different languages, depending on the economics of demand and supply. It is expected that Malay and English will prevail and that there may be Mandarin or Tamil language institutions. The government’s job is to aid its people, not to tell them what to do. It may support national language institutions and allow English as a medium of instruction. Too much heavy thinking is being proffered to people. The government should not behave like a school principal.

The primary barrier to learning is misunderstood words. When your vocabulary is weak, comprehension and understanding are affected. Your remedy for learning is to make sure you do not go past a misunderstood word. So, learning requires a good vocabulary and the discipline to not go past misunderstood words or concepts.

I must say the smartphone and internet allow me to do that nicely. I Google concepts and use a phone dictionary to get a clear meaning of words. So, let us not confuse communication with learning. If the language of learning at the university I attend is Malay, even if it is a science or engineering degree, I had better improve my Malay and know the meaning of all the words I come across. It is the same discipline for English, Mandarin or Tamil — no misunderstood words.

Learning requires a good command of the language. Now, the next pertinent question is, will I have a job after completing my degree in English, Mandarin or Tamil? The market dictates. Right now, Malay scholarship students from overseas have bright employment prospects because of their proficiency in English. They are much sought after.

Since everyone can converse in Malay, they can be employed in various positions, applying their specific knowledge learnt in Malay, English, Tamil or Mandarin. The subject matter expertise has been learnt. And I can communicate in Malay. So, there is no problem.

I have some sympathy for dual language programmes. It is almost like being in no man’s land. Your English is okay but not good enough to grasp difficult English terms. Your Malay is okay but not strong enough for scientific learning. You are in no man’s land. All this is just nice ideology.

K P Bose Dasan is a trainer, financial planner and consultant in tax finance and investments

Save by subscribing to us for your print and/or digital copy.

P/S: The Edge is also available on Apple's AppStore and Androids' Google Play.