English is the way to go, says Johor Ruler's consort

Wednesday June 9, 2010

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is moving in the opposite direction compared with countries such as China and Indonesia that are fast catching up on becoming more proficient in the English language, said Raja Zarith Sofiah Almarhum Sultan Idris Shah (pic).
She spoke about the many youths who could not speak or write well in English.
“They are reluctant to participate in international conferences because they have no confidence in speaking up and writing reports in English,” said the Johor Ruler Sultan Ibrahim’s consort.
Delivering a royal lecture at the 19th Malaysian English Language Teaching Association (Melta) International Conference on Monday, Raja Zarith, who is the patron of Melta, said: “One way to boost students’ confidence in speaking in English is by asking them to do presentations regularly in front of the class.”
She also said that English could be used to communicate the message that Islam was a religion of peace.
“Post-9/11, there have been stereotypes and misconceptions about Muslims and Islam. With good English, we can tell the world that Malaysian Muslims do not prescribe to the doctrine of terrorism.”
Raja Zarith also paid tribute to the teachers for their efforts in moulding young minds and contributing to the country’s development.
“Nevertheless, education is always dynamic. Teachers need to be aware of the latest happenings in order to keep up with the students nowadays,” she added.
The Star is the media partner for Melta.