A Member of Parliament in Malaysia recently stirred up controversy by claiming that he do not consider Singaporeans as being ‘very fluent’ in English.
Tebrau Member of Parliament (MP) Jimmy Puah made the bold statement during a parliamentary session on Tuesday (16 July), receiving applause from fellow MPs.
Puah suggested that Malaysia should prioritize engaging Malaysians, particularly retired English teachers, to teach English in the country before considering volunteers from Singapore.
He argued that there are many more Malaysians who are fluent in English compared to Singaporeans.
Here’s what he said :
According to local news reports, the MP said : “Personally, I do not consider Singaporeans as being very fluent in English. In fact, I think we have many experts, many more Malaysians who are fluent in English.
“Is the government looking to engage Malaysians who are more fluent in English, such as retired (English) teachers?
‘We have many retired teachers who don’t have any work now, so why not engage them to teach English (to students in rural areas)? he said in a parliamentary question to education minister Fadhlina Sidek.
In response to Puah’s comments, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek assured that the ministry welcomes retired English teachers to work with them.
“We welcome volunteers from Singapore, and we also welcome retired teachers who want to serve with us again. No problem, she said according to Free Malaysia Today.
Based on the 2023 EF English Proficiency Index, Singapore was the highest-ranking Asian country for English language proficiency, with Malaysia coming in third.
Singapore also placed second globally, while Malaysia ranked 25th.
SINGAPORE NETIZENS RESPONSE TO MP’s COMMENT :
Image via YouTube/Parlimen Malaysia
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