KUALA LUMPUR: Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is calling for the government to reinstate the use of English as the teaching language for Science and Mathematics subjects in schools.
In a posting on X, Dr Mahathir said that the subjects should be taught in English due to the field of knowledge not being indigenous to the Malay language.
"This knowledge (of the subjects) has to be translated into Malay and the translators must have a good understanding of the subject and be fluent in English and Malay.
"Not many people would have this qualification. Besides, new discoveries in science and applications of mathematics are being added almost daily. To translate them would require an army of translators," he said.
He added that unlike subjects like Geography and History these two subjects are constantly evolving due to new discoveries and applications.
"It is different from other fields of knowledge. In Geography and History for example the basic facts hardly ever change. Only the presentation may be different. So the need to translate is quite limited.
"But with Science and Mathematics, new discoveries and new applications have to be learnt or acquired if the student is going to keep up with the new technologies.
"If the teaching is in English, all the new knowledge can be learnt directly as most scientific papers are presented in English."
The former prime minister then added that despite the national desire to develop the Malay language, the objective of education must not be sacrificed.
"The objective of education is primarily to gain knowledge. We cannot sacrifice knowledge merely because we want to develop our language.
"Education would be worthless if we are left behind in terms of knowledge which is so essential for our development and progress."
Earlier this year, a non-governmental organisation called on the Education Ministry to abolish the ongoing Dual Language Programme (DLP) at primary and secondary levels which allowed pupils in schools to study certain subjects in English.
The DLP was introduced in 2016 to strengthen the English language and elevate the Malay language.