Students receive certificates for English proficiency at ceremony

Proud moment: Dr Mah (right) presenting the award to Neoh during the certificate presentation ceremony.

ABOUT 175 students were awarded the prestigious Cambridge certificates from the University of Cambridge English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) Examinations Department.

Among the students who passed the Cambridge Proficiency English (CPE) examination with flying colours included Form Three students Neoh Lean Wern and Edward Foo Yu Cheng.

The students, who took lessons at the Ipoh Learning and Training Institute (ILTI), received their certificates during a presentation ceremony at Syeun Hotel on June 7.

Perak executive council member Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon, who represented MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai at the ceremony, said English was a language of opportunity.

“It is not only a language of maths, science, technology, engineering and medicine but also a language of trade, commerce and industry.

“Undeniably, the borderless global community has acknowledged and recognised English as the lingua franca of the world at world conferences, seminars as well as meetings,” he said.

“The Government has also made it compulsory for students to pass their English examination at SPM level from next year onwards,” he said, adding that students need a minimum of Band 3 in the Malaysian University Entrance Test (MUET) for admission into public universities.

Dr Mah said the ceremony also reminded him of his son’s experience, who had also received several certificates from ILTI.

“We know ILTI as an established and reputable language institute and my wife and I had no reservations about sending my son, who was in primary school then, to learn English here.

“He learnt English from the Cambridge Young Learners’ level to the highest level of the Cambridge Main Suite, the CPE,” he said.

“He did remarkably well in every Cambridge exam and achieved Grade A in the CPE when he was in Form 3,” he said.

He said that his son was currently pursuing his higher education at Trinity College of Cambridge University in England.