MIC Youth: Delaying must-pass in SPM English a step backwards

PETALING JAYA: Delaying the move to make English a must-pass subject in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination is a step backward, says C. Sivarraajh.

The MIC youth chief said this was hampering efforts to improve the marketability of local graduates.

"We all know that many graduates have poor English.

"They are fated to work as low-paid and poorly-tutored graduates because of their poor command of English," he said in a statement on Wednesday.

Sivarraajh added that the Education Ministry had agreed to make a pass in SPM English compulsory after groups lobbied for years to improve students' proficiency in the language.

"You have to bite the bullet and not get cold feet. It is indeed very sad and depressing for the Ministry to reverse its decision," he said.

Sivarraajh claimed that the reason for the move was pressure from some Malay groups, which the Ministry gave in to.

"We are a multi-ethnic society and therefore our education policy be multi-ethnic, allowing for any language as a medium of instruction," he said.

On Aug 19, the Examinations Syndicate announced that the decision to make English a compulsory pass subject in SPM was postponed to give teachers and students more time to prepare.