PUTRAJAYA, Nov 24 — There is a need for students to improve the quality of English proficiency stating next year, while ensuring the Malay language is not compromised, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
At a thanksgiving ceremony in conjunction with the one year administration of the Madani Government here last night, he said efforts to master English need to be implemented quickly as developed countries give emphasis on dual language.
“Speaking of the quality of education, Malay is the main language and must be mastered without compromise by all students, but we must try to think of new methods to improve the quality and mastery of the English language.
“So from next year, the quality of English language proficiency should be improved in addition to maintaining the position of the Malay language,” he said.
Anwar hopes that the government’s efforts to improve English proficiency among students in this country will not be disputed.
Meanwhile, he said expertise and training for young people needs to be enhanced to meet the needs of international companies investing in this country, like semiconductor firm Infineon Technologies AG from Germany, which decided to invest RM25 billion in Malaysia.
“It means we have to train our children who are graduates of TVET and engineers and others in the fields of mathematics, science, technology and digital so that they can meet the needs of the company.
“Otherwise the company will take expertise from foreign countries,” he said.
Infineon announced plans to upgrade its facility in Kulim, Kedah to build the world’s largest 200-millimeter (mm) silicon carbide power fabrication plant with an additional investment of five billion euros over the next five years.
Over the past five decades, Infineon has made Malaysia an important hub in wafer fabrication in Kulim and carries out semiconductor chip packaging activities in Batu Berendam, Melaka.
— Bernama
