Multilingual, multitalented

Photo: Filepic/The Star

EVERY morning, when school bells ring across Malaysia, classrooms come alive with a chorus of voices saying “Selamat pagi”, or “Vanakkam”, or “Zaoshang hao” or “Good morning”. This is the sound of Malaysia’s greatest strength: our diversity in harmony.

In our schools, whether national or vernacular, we are given a rare and precious gift: the chance to learn and grow in more than one language. For many students, this means mastering not just two, but three languages – Bahasa Melayu, English, and either Mandarin or Tamil. It’s a system that doesn’t just teach us to communicate, it teaches us to understand, connect, and belong.