Aarvidi’s Weblog

Please read this first. Reproduced below.

Why must we harp on the fact that knowing English makes you an English, less patriotic, glorifying colonial past or less nationalistic.

You cannot change your race just like that. Is the race so delicate that knowing another language changes it? I don’t know the percentage of people in Malaysia who speak English, but have you heard of anyone or for that matter, say, an Indian, becoming English just because he speaks English.

I am Indian and speak English. It has broadened my mind, open up new areas of learning, speak and write maybe not like with a Phd in English but enough for people to understand me. I also write and speak my mother tongue Tamil. I also read and write in Bahasa Malaysia or Melayu or whatever this language has come to now. I am happy I know 3 languages. I can pick up any of the magazines or newspapers in any of the 3 languages and feel so educated. Knowing the language Melayu has not made me Malay. I regret not knowing Chinese as this would make me a true cosmopolitan Malaysian, Do people understand?

Patriotism has nothing to do with Language, please remember. It is an inner feeling, that brings out your love of the country that belongs to you, happy you are associated with that country and finally the most important point you have a homeland. Full Stop.

The cliché Colonial Past is maddening. Knowing English does not glorify colonial past. Our daily living is a reflection of our colonial past, the way we live, the clothes we where, the food and the way we eat it, our fashion, even small things like toothbrush, shaving with a safety razor (I only use 3 in 1 blade), name it and it goes back to something learned in the colonial era. What about the Government we have. We have our own Asian cultures and habits. They only complement what we learned from the English. We are so lucky to have the colonial masters to learn what is done in European countries. A basic thing like eating with fork and spoon, Malaysians are either hand or chopsticks, are we not happy about it or do we groan and moan that the Colonial masters have thought us an horrible practice.

Nationalism and patriotism go hand in hand. Suffice to say, waving a flag may be nationalism, but patriotism comes from the heart.

I was with a girl 12 years of age. Talking about education she told me that she has been given 2 books by her tuition teacher for Maths and Science in English. I asked her what would you prefer, referring to the 2 subjects, answering it in English or Bahasa, as I remember question papers will be in two languages. She said she rather reply in English and not Bahasa because her vocabulary in English gives her a better understanding of the subject. Why not in Bahasa I said. She in her own childish way admitted to me the children, some of them even don’t understand words like extinguish and English gives her an advantage. This happened this evening. May be this is one of the reason why I am fired up to write this.

So to the people out there please don’t learn English if:

You don’t know English and you are frightened that if the other person knows English, you are left out.
Since I know my mother tongue, I am one up, others must follow.
You don’t understand the conversation in English because you never learned it.
That stupid English is a bit more Universal, learning English will threaten my mother tongue and that is the only language I am comfortable in.
Religion sounds better in Tamil, knowing English they will question me, how difficult it is for me to convince them on my expertise of the mother tongue.
There is always politics. Most of my voters don’t speak English. It is easier they look up to me I am from Oxford.

GeneralJanuary 08, 2008 18:43 PM   

Using English Doesn’t Make One Less Patriotic, Says Raja Zarith

BANGI, Jan 8 (Bernama) — Having a good mastery of the English language does not make a Malaysian pro-British or less patriotic, says the wife of the Tunku Mahkota of Johor, Raja Zarith Sofia.

Rather, she said, fluency in English and a good and strong command of it as a language was necessary in the 21st century, whether in daily life, at social gatherings or at work.

“It has nothing to do with being pro-English or pro-British, or with glorifying our British colonial past.

“It has nothing to do with us being any less nationalistic or patriotic,” she said when delivering her lecture entitled “Going Global: The Use of the English Language in 21st Century Malaysia” at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia here today.

Raja Zarith Sofia said she chose to speak on the topic as she felt it was an important and timely issue.

“Last year, we celebrated our 50th year of Independence after having been a British colony since the 19th century.

“In view of this, I suggest Malaysians, especially our young people who are at school and university, be given opportunities and encouragement to learn how to speak, read and write in English,” she said.

She said Malaysians must be able to think on the ability to converse in English as an advantage.

“We don’t have to fear the English language. Studying English as a language won’t change us from being Malaysians to being pseudo-English or pseudo-Americans or pseudo-other native English speakers,” she said.

Raja Zarith Sofia said Malaysians already have their historical and cultural roots within them which would not be taken away unless they were given up willingly.

She said having a good command of English also meant Malaysians would be able to transmit and convey their knowledge about themselves as a society and as a country to people from other countries.

She said this could be done through writing articles, papers, academic and non-academic books and novels about heritage, cultures, religion and arts.

“We can also share and exchange our views about national and world events with foreigners who use English as we do, that is, as a means of communication and as a global language,” she added.

– BERNAMA