M’sian MP Says “Singaporeans Are Not Very Fluent In English”, Believes There Are More M’sians Who Are Better At The Language

In a Malaysia parliamentary session on July 16, a politician from the People’s Justice Party made a shockingly controversial statement regarding the standard of English in Singapore.

Malaysia’s Minister of Education Fadhlina Sidek spoke about the government’s decision to recruit Singaporean volunteers to teach English in the country.

The topic was first brought up during Malaysia PM Anwar Ibrahim’s meeting with PM Lawrence Wong last month.

According to Malaysian media, PM Anwar Ibrahim had proposed the idea in order “to help students who come from disadvantaged backgrounds master English”.

Jimmy Puah, a lawyer and MP for Tebrau, stated his case in response to the topic.

He acknowledged the efforts made by the government to raise the level of English proficiency in Malaysia, but believed they should first look to enlisting the help of locals.

He said: “In my personal opinion, I don’t think Singaporeans are very fluent in English. In fact, I believe Malaysia has a lot of experts, many more who are fluent in English.”

Instead of getting volunteers from Singapore, Puah suggested that the government first look at Malaysians who are highly proficient in the language, including retired English teachers.

His speech was met with cheers from other parliamentary members.

The Minister of Education acknowledged Puah’s proposal, saying that the ministry will look towards reinstating retired English teachers. They would also welcome the help of both Singaporean volunteers and retired teachers.

She also promised that Singaporean volunteers will be thoroughly vetted, ensuring “they meet the standards before they are accepted”.

Photos: Parlimen Malaysia/ YouTube