Malaysian Graduates and English

I was reading an article by Stephanie Phang (Bloomberg) about Malaysian graduates and English language problem. Before you continue, please forgive the mistakes and errors in my language as I was also a Malaysian local graduates.

After graduating from UM, I have a short stint working in the government sector before quitting my job to pursue further education abroad. I have been to several job interviews, including some private and multinational corporations. It was indeed vital that English proficiency is one of the most important factor in deciding the success in gaining the job as all these interviews (including the part of PTD interviews) were conducted in English. I have to thanked God that at least I could speak proper English (although my writing skills is bad) as I was taught in a national school with strong British tradition, where the headmaster of the school spoke in English every week during assembly. Sad to say, many Malaysians do not have the privilege to be properly expose to the international language.

From the article and recent development in my former university, I was glad that the VC of UM has seen the problem and suggested several measures for that. Adding to that through my personal experience, I wish to convey the message to the VC that working in government sector (as PTD) also need high level of English proficiency. On her suggested measure in UM, I personally do not think that providing English tuition to all undergraduates will be the solution to the problem. Local undergraduates are already burdened with so many unnecessary courses within their course such as Critical Thinking, Moral and Ethics, TITAS etc. Several more English modules will not be sufficient in raising the standard. In fact this will reduce the students' exposure into learning more in depth of their own subject courses.

However, I was puzzled as why have local universities stopped using the Malaysian English University Test (MUET) as one of the criteria in admitting students. Previously, in UM, students who do not achieved Band 3 and above, will not be able to graduate. When too many students could not meet that requirement, the criteria was abolished. If we could lower the standard of admitting students into local universities for the sake of producing more graduates, then perhaps Malaysia should not be whining about the increasing unemployed graduates in the country who could do not have good English proficiency.

From my experience in applying for post-graduate studies in other countries, regardless of how well you performed previously, if you failed in the TOEFL or IELTS level of requirement, any offer or scholarship will be withdraw without any grounds for appeal unless you met their language requirement. The foreign universities were strict because they want to maintain and uphold their standard and reputation. Even in countries like Japan who has strong emphasis on their own language, English proficiency assumes similar level of importance as their national language when it comes to issue like scholarship. For a Japanese Government Scholarship, the first test for applicants is English test and no Japanese proficiency is required.

On a personal note, if Malaysia is serious in dealing with the problem of unemployed graduates, then the local universities must be bold to ONLY admit students who met the English requirement (at least with MUET). Previously if SPM examination could deny top students from getting Grade 1 merely because the Malay Language does not get credit (C6 and above); I do not see why local universities could not deny admission of those students who do not meet the minimum requirement of MUET. (Please take note that without C6 in Malay Language cannot proceed for STPM or Matriculation, which means virtually impossible to enter local universities). After all those whoever does not performed well in MUET can always re-sit for it 6 months later.