Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

Posted: 08 Nov 2011 03:04 PM PST

By Y.S. Chan, The Star

GOOD citizens of different races, religions, languages, cultures, orientation and politics share common values that can unite all Malaysians. Good people throughout the world embrace universal values, and they are the ones that make this world a better place.

We must constantly bear in mind that Malaysia is one of the world's most popular countries. At any one time, there are millions of foreign workers, students, expatriates, business persons and tourists in our midst.

As foreign visitors are welcome, they should not be excluded and feel alienated while in our country. We should therefore promote 1Humanity, which is also in line with the Prime Minister's push for the Global Movement of Moderates (GMM).

The inaugural GMM Conference with the theme "Towards fair and lasting peace" will be held on Jan 17-19 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. Government leaders and thinkers are to present sound ideas for practising moderation.

While wisdom and rationality are needed to counter extremism and terrorism, the right formula will have to include actions and activities that nurture solidarity. One effective way is for large numbers of people to be seen walking together in the name of peace.

On Saturday nights, and weather permitting, it will be great to see thousands of people, locals and foreigners, walking side by side along the streets of Kuala Lumpur from 10pm to midnight. Anyone can join in or leave anywhere along a selected circular route.

Participants are to be encouraged to wear their national or tribal costumes, traditional dresses, religious robes or uniforms. Everyone should try to mingle with those who look different to show solidarity.

It will be different from the Mardi Gras as there will be no music, dancing, celebration, rowdiness or noise. This "KLWalk" should have the quiet stamp of dignity.

Peace cannot be achieved through protests but can be attained by profess.

City Hall can mould Kuala Lumpur into an iconic city with soul by doing its bit. It can facilitate the "KLWalk" by placing safety cones.

Those who walk for 90 minutes non-stop will also cover the recommended 10,000 steps needed daily to stay healthy and fit.

No one should be allowed to give speeches, put up banners or distribute leaflets.

The only form of verbal communication is SMS, Twitter, email or billboard.

The procession should not stop and listen to those who try to address the crowd.

The silent majority just want to be seen, not to be heard, and do not wish to be told. It will be up to each one of us to support or oppose whatever causes in our hearts. We just want to come forward and show solidarity with our fellow human beings.

We have had more than enough of rhetoric from loudmouthed politicians, and silence will indeed be golden.

To borrow a song's lyric, "you say it best when you say nothing at all". Such peace marches can spread around the globe, similar to the runs conducted by the Hash House Harriers.

I would love to see all our leaders walking together as proof that they genuinely care. I also wish to see High Commissioners and Ambassadors posted to Malaysia joining in the walk with their fellow nationals who are working here or on tour.

Malaysians can take the opportunity to show the world how hospitable we are, and that everyone – foreigners included – have a place under the Malaysian sun and enjoy Malaysian hospitality.

We should go beyond the airing of views, offering lip service or giving a brand name.

There has been too much anger and violence, which are easily stirred up.

Choosing to demonstrate love for our fellow human beings, practising universal values and attaining inner peace requires much greater effort.

We will naturally do all these when we truly love God. It is time for all of us to, literally, walk the talk.

Not just a Malaysian issue

Posted: 08 Nov 2011 02:54 PM PST

By Paul Rowe via The Sun

I ENJOYED reading "Chicken and egg phenomenon" (This N That, Nov 4). May I add a couple of points to the last three paragraphs?

First, to reiterate the writer's point about ceasing to blame teachers for the perceived low level of English in Malaysia, just last week I was talking to an English teacher, one year from retirement. She was dejected over society's opinion of her lifetime contribution to the education of thousands of young Malaysians. She says she wants to be proud of her achievement, but that society seems to use her and her colleagues as social whipping horses. Whenever, there is something wrong in society, blame the teachers.

Sadly, this is not solely a Malaysian issue. Teachers worldwide have become scapegoats for the modern world's ills. The majority of my teaching life has been spent within the Australian education system. Australian teachers are blamed for bad economic conditions, increase in crime and graffiti, traffic deaths, smoking, alcoholism and of course the divorce rate. The barrage is unrelenting.

Nothing positive is achieved by going down this route. Teachers become even demoralised, and both society and governments can distance themselves from what really are social and government issues.

For the last eight months, I have had the privilege of working closely with 16 Malaysian English teachers in their schools and in their classes. In the majority of cases, I see hard working teachers, and hardworking, happy students. I am constantly in awe of your children.

Two days ago, at Selma primary school where I saw kindergarten students give performances in the English and Malay languages, a group of about 12 young musicians from years four, five and six performed the current pop song Price Tag. The lead singer had clearer English diction than the original recording artist. I was stunned to find out that a Year 2 girl and her friends in a Tamil school speak and write three languages. Some SK schools have trilingual students who also write Arabic!

What more does Malaysia want from its young and those who teach them? This myth that young Malaysians can't talk English is to a large degree perceptional. Again, this perception is not only a Malaysian issue.

Here's an example of how easily society can be misled to think their children don't know English. I was teaching at a small English school in a small Korean village. The school's owner, Lee, whose English was nearly native level, had his daughter in my kindergarten class. Near the end of my one-year teaching contract, Lee came to my class for some reason, and was shocked to find his five-year-old speaking English! Why hadn't Lee picked up on that fact? If a qualified English teacher couldn't deduce that his own daughter could speak English, what is the chance that the social perception that Malaysian children are not able to speak English might be highly misguided?

On the second point on the Malaysian government being called to action on this issue, the current government has committed itself to a huge nationwide language programme, in which I work. I don't pretend to know all the figures, but what I do know is that on the west coast of Malaysia, there are currently 120 native English teachers working with over 1,000 Malaysian English teachers. Apparently there are similar Education Ministry-sponsored projects being run on the east coast of the peninsula and Sabah. That can only be a good thing.

Only time will tell if this project will be considered by society as successful? Time will also be the judge if such young citizens should be placed under such social pressures.

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net

Rabu, 9 November 2011

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

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