How far are we distant from each other?

The Chinese community must get rid of the figure dispute and find a way to narrow the perception gap, as well as resolve the internal conflicts and the conflicts with the government, to find a way out for Chinese school students.

Tay Tian Yan, mysinchew 

The gaps among 210, 240 and 270 minutes are actually the perception gaps of the Chinese on languages, as well as their ambivalence for Bahasa Malaysia.

For many existing and past Chinese school students, Bahasa Malaysia is a nightmare. Future students do not seem to be able to escape the fate, too.

Could you still remember those days?

We have to memorise vocabulary and idioms while learning "pantun", restructuring sentences, palace language, ancient language, etc.

Wow! It was like learning an alien language.

There were always students being punished during Bahasa Malaysia lesson in primary school. Some were asked to stand in a row outside the classroom while some were asked to stand on the table. They were punished for not being able to make sentences with a particular word, not doing their homework or failing tests.

Well, it was all the language's fault.

Why is Bahasa Malaysia so hard to learn? What is the use for learning it?

These are frequently asked questions.

Many thinks that Bahasa Malaysia is all about "apa apa" and "sama sama" as English, instead, is used in colleges or universities. And except for public service departments, the language does not seem to have much usage in workplaces.

Why should we master Bahasa Malaysia then?

However, when Chinese primary school students with poor Bahasa Malaysia skills continue their studies in secondary schools, their misfortune begins.

More than 80% of Chinese primary school students continue their studies in national schools using Bahasa Malaysia as the teaching medium for almost all subjects, particularly after the abolition of the teaching Science and Mathematics in English policy. Even if they choose to study in Chinese independent high schools, they still cannot run away from learning Bahasa Malaysia.

Thus, classes become more and more boring while the syllabuses become more and more difficult. Life becomes harder and harder.

About 25% Chinese students drop out of school after Form 3 and half are eliminated after Form 5.

Bahasa Malaysia is their fatal wound and the future of many Chinese students has been destroyed because of it. Since they possess no SPM certificate, they are not qualify to apply for any colleges or universities. They wouldn't have a chance even to enter vocational schools.

Guess what they do then? Well, I think we wouldn't have to guess.

XXX

So, is it important to master Bahasa Malaysia?

As nationals, of course it is important as it is the national language. However, we will not discuss this part today.

From the typical Chinese mentality point of view, mastering Bahasa Malaysia may not be so important. It is not the mother tongue and its economic value might not be high either. For many people, it is the third language after Chinese and English, the sequence differs for different people, of course.

However, it is still very important.

It is the only official language and the country's first language. The government wants to expand its usage and improve its standard through education policy.

It is the common language of the Malays. It is also their icon and soul, just like the Chinese language for the Chinese community. Therefore, the Malay community defends and promotes it.

It is where the contradiction lies.

The Chinese community thinks that it is not so important and might put it at the third place, but for the country and Malays, it is very important and must be prioritised.

The Chinese community thinks that Bahasa Malaysia is having a limited practical value for the long run, but the immediate problem is, poor Bahasa Malaysia skills do not only affect learning in secondary school but it could end the hope to enter universities and destroy the future, too.

Whether it is important to master Bahasa Malaysia or not, is also a problem of perception gap.

XXX

This brings me back to the 210, 240 and 270 dispute.

Almost all Chinese groups and Chinese-based political parties oppose to the proposal of increasing the Bahasa Malaysia learning time for Chinese primary schools to 270 minutes. They believe that it would affect the characteristics of the schools and even change their nature.

The Education Ministry, however, argued that many Chinese school students are facing problem to catch up in secondary schools and it resulted in serious dropout rates. To improve their skills of the language, of course the learning time must be increased. Moreover, the learning time for learning Chinese language has not been affected as the time is appropriated from the abolished lessons of learning Science and Mathematics in English.

There are also some voices from the Malay community. They think that the Chinese's opposition to the increase of Bahasa Malaysia learning time is a move of rejecting the language, not respecting its status and affecting national unity.

This is the perception gap.

Chinese groups, such as Dong Zong and Jiao Zong oppose to the 270 minute proposal and cannot accept the 240 minute proposal. Dong Zong even accused that it is intended to change the nature of Chinese primary schools.

Amidst the wave of opposition, they have actually neglected the fact that Chinese primary school students are indeed having difficulties to catch up when they continue their studies in national secondary schools.

For many Chinese groups, the questions of how to improve Chinese school students' skills of Bahasa Malaysia and how to overcome the early dropout problem are not the focus of their concern.

From the point of view of their ideology, the Education Ministry is having some hidden agendas and therefore, they must resist to defend Chinese primary schools.

However, while they are concerning the future of Chinese primary schools, they should at the same time care about the schools' future. While adhering to their philosophies and ideologies, they must also take reality into account.

As for the Education Ministry, to enhance Chinese primary school students' Bahasa Malaysia skills, not only the learning time should be emphasised, but more attention should be paid on teaching method and teacher issues. It has neglected the question of how to cultivate students' interest in learning Bahasa Malaysia and strengthen their confidence.

Moreover, have they set the standard too high for Chinese primary school students? It is a question that must be taken into account.

The more difficult the syllabuses are, the greater the learning pressure would be and the lower interest and confidence the students would have. This is not the way to enhance students' skills of the language.

XXX

The people have been engaged in the 210, 240 and 270 dispute while neglecting Chinese primary school students' situation and plight of the future.

The insistence of Chinese groups are largely based on their own ideologies and negative experiences of the past. They view the whole thing with suspicions and do not care about the reality and vision.

Meanwhile, Chinese-based political parties made only superficial comments and all they care about is just sail with the wind and take the path which the majority is taking.

The Education Ministry is concerned about the national language policy and meeting the wishes of the mainstream population. Chinese and Chinese primary schools problems are not the priority.

Eventually, hundreds of thousands of Chinese students get lost in the chaotic and confusing language policy and are not clear about their future.

The Chinese community must get rid of the figure dispute and find a way to narrow the perception gap, as well as resolve the internal conflicts and the conflicts with the government, to find a way out for Chinese school students.

The author personally very much appreciates the strictness of the Bahasa Malaysia teacher in his primary school. Also, the flexible teaching style of his Bahasa Malaysia teacher in secondary school, including requesting them to listen to Bahasa Malaysia news, discuss and recite in class so that they can master the skills of listening, reading and writing while enriching knowledge, is very much helpful even until today.