Dr M concerned over level of English among students

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is concerned over the poor grasp of the English language among students as it will adversely affect their future.

The former prime minister said there were some from institutions of higher learning who did not master the language, resulting in them not getting a place in the employment sector.

Speaking to reporters after delivering his keynote address at the 2013 Asian University Presidents Forum (AUPF) at Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP) Pauh Putra campus near here today, he said those who mastered English were readily accepted.

For example, he said, recently 333 graduates of institutions of higher learning were called for a job interview related to information technology.

"However, only seven were recruited as the rest did not know English.

"Some of them even requested that the questions during the interview, which was conducted in English, be translated into Malay!," he said.

Dr Mahathir said, while he was a fighter for Bahasa Melayu since 1947, he was pragmatic as English could not be sidelined.

He hoped English would be widely used in science and mathmetics for the future of the students. He said certain words and terms were difficult to translate, especially for science, and should be maintained with the use of English for the subject.

Prior to that, in his address, he also stressed on the use of English for Science and Mathmetics in school.