This article first appeared in Forum, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on March 1, 2021 - March 7, 2021

English-language opinion pieces and social media postings invariably conclude that Malaysia’s education system is in tatters, based on a viral clip of a teacher speaking in butchered English. And as usual, the government, through its education system, is in effect to blame for the deficiencies.

However, scour the internet for this episode’s takes written in Bahasa Malaysia, and you will find that the views of the larger society are more dismissive. Why judge the teacher’s English skills when she is a Malay, they say. Having the ability to speak some semblance of English and knowing a second language is more than enough in Malaysia, they argue.

The viral clip and the small controversy it generated exhibit one of the dichotomies in Malaysian society. For those of you who can read this article, there is no need to convince you of the importance of the English language in this information-driven economy.

But for the majority of the Malaysian population, a good command of the English language has become a luxury that only a few can afford. It is a social marker, a status symbol.

For decades, politicians invoking racial superiority and stoking jingoistic fervour for votes have played up English as “the coloniser’s language”, something that should take a backseat to our national language — as if mastery of a language can be limited to only one.

Inevitably, after decades of brainwashing, the language faded away from the larger society’s daily lives. Their only exposure to the English language is limited to whenever they watch a Hollywood popcorn flick — with Bahasa Malaysia subtitles for the inconsequential dialogue — and the rare occasions that a stranger approaches them with a question in English.

Language serves as the vessel to transport knowledge and thoughts. With English’s position as the world’s lingua franca entrenched over the decades, those who fail to master the language are missing out on the latest developments and new discoveries.

We are indeed fortunate to be in a circle that stresses on English’s importance. Linguistic skills need to be developed over time, and we have had a lifetime to learn the language’s intricacies and verbiage to get to where we are today.

The structural barrier to gaining English language competency in the larger Malaysian society has hardened, that we have now become the minority.

While the politicians may be at fault for initially repelling the masses from English, it is us who have gilded it as an elitist language. When there are a few brave souls who are looking to brush up their English language skills, we snigger, pretend to almost spit out our double-shot caramel macchiatos, and make faces when they mispronounce words and botch their grammar. Asians, always afraid of losing face, will then tuck away their underdeveloped English skills, fearing they would be subjects of ridicule once again.

Some employers refuse to hire applicants with subpar English proficiency, even when these job seekers possess commendable technical skills. Failing to get a decent job, they will remain in their circles, with nary a prospect to move up the social ladder.

And we, the English-speaking public, refuse to “look stupid” by speaking Malay. Our Instagram captions and social media posts are almost always in English. Over time, our Bahasa Malaysia proficiency erodes, too. At best, we are only able to master it at a conversational level.

Some will openly admit that their Bahasa Malaysia have regressed, with a hint of a smile on their faces betraying their contrition. The tatabahasa and most words in our kosa kata were defenestrated the moment we handed our second Bahasa Malaysia SPM paper to the exam invigilator.

The language gap becomes wider. We mingle less with wider society. And that is why we were so scandalised by the viral clip.

One thing we have to realise from the viral clip is, if that is the standard of English spoken by an average public-service educator today, all the opinion pieces and social media postings highlighting social and policy issues written by these so-called “thought leaders” would have been inaccessible to the majority of Malaysia’s population.

We tend to have a lot of ideas and thoughts on what ails the country’s political, economic and social developments, yet all we do is preach to the choir. Many of these articles and postings are intended to address the larger population, but they will not be able to understand what is in them.

Why bother then to write these thoughtful, (sometimes) assiduously researched opinion pieces, if the audience cannot even comprehend the syntax? A writer’s job is to make his content accessible.

Clearly, it would take a long time for the majority to hone their English skills.

So instead of telling Malaysians to improve their English language, perhaps it is time for us to brush up our national language too.

Write more in Bahasa Malaysia. Bridge the gap with larger society, and let us better understand each other’s thought processes and worldviews. And when there are people who wish to learn English, give them encouragement and pointers.

The Covid-19 pandemic has taught us that it is best to adopt the “kita jaga kita” mindset. If we truly care about the country’s education system and social development, then perhaps it is up to us to do something about them.

Lutfi Hakim Ariff is a member of Gen MEME, a digital collective for the empowerment of those who are making daily ends meet

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