Assalam and good day.....
Here I would like to share with you the English Debate text from my school for your reference.
THE PROCESS OF NATION-BUILDING
The process of nation-building is an effort to develop the spirit of patriotism and solidarity to create a country whose people share a common identity. The major aim is to foster national unity by developing a new nation and an integrated race. In Malaysia, the idea of establishing a nation was initiated before Malayan Union was introduced, during the struggles in seeking independence from British colonization.
In education field, the system in Malaysia may be seen in tandem with the nation building policies mentioned above. For instance, education plays a role in the National Key Result Areas. Providing a national education in Government School is one of the means by which redistribution of wealth according to ethnic group is to be fulfilled. In the effort of nation building, there is the need for a common cultural value system to promote national identity and nationhood.
Being once ruled by western powers for many centuries and now opened to globalization exposed us to the western worldview and way of life. We tend to uncritically accept their values and institutions although some are detrimental to our worldview and society. Much of educational system is influenced by the West, where the emphasis is mostly on professional training as well as industry and market driven. Very little attention is given to ethical development, social consciousness, and national unity particularly in the International School. Most popular excuse given to reject attempts to teach and inculcate such matters is that ethics is mostly a personal matter, while social consciousness and national unity are least related to professional abilities. It must be argued that ethical failure of a person, especially in higher positions of societal trust and responsibility will certainly produce grave social and national damages. Professional expertise alone without a deep ethical, and social consciousness will not only contribute to personal and group/ racial selfishness but also to national disunity.
While we should continue to improve on the proper professional training and 6 industrial relations but we should not neglect the ethical, social and national agenda in the context of globalization which is based mostly from a Western, secular and capitalistic perspective.
This is important because, if the Western conception of development, governance, social well-being and personal success are pursued without proper understanding of our Eastern and largely Muslim history and worldview, our society will not know how to properly appreciate local realities, achievements and challenges. Demands for social, political and economic changes may not be really suitable to local and national needs, abilities and values. Such idealistic and non-relevant attitude and subsequent actions will be negative than positive. Recent examples of this can be seen in Iraq, Afghanistan, Egypt and other Middle East countries where their solution is more disruptive than constructive.
Malaysia’s racial, religious, socio-cultural and economic diversity is compounded by the fact that the national language has not been effectively mastered among all the segments of the 30 million population. Unity in linguistic usage can play an important role in unifying the various racial, religious and socio-economic groups especially in this age of globalization.
This is made more difficult when more international English language schools are becoming more popular especially among the high-income famillies. The national schools seem to be not the most attractive option for an increasing segment of Malaysians. Allegations that it is too Malay and too religious is not quite true because some Malay parents choose to send their children to formal religious schools which is more Malay and more religious. Furthermore the Malay-centric nature national schools merely reflect the historical and cultural reality of this nation. Unwillingness of non Malays to send their children to Malay schools may reflect an unwillingness to integrate with that reality which is unnatural and not helping to achieve greater national harmony and unity. If the conception of development, governance, social well-being and personal success are based entirely on the idealized understanding of western concepts, the society will not know how to interpret local realities and requirement positively and fairly.
THE PROCESS OF NATION-BUILDING (RUKUNEGARA - NATIONAL PRINCIPLES and 1MALAYSIA CONCEPT)
The education curriculum is the heart beat of the education system. Education is a vital device in Malaysia as the country needs a tool to integrate its multi religious and multiethnic population. The past 57 years in Malaysia were spent on nation-building by following the National Principles (Rukunegara) which consist of 5 principles. The principles of Rukunegara are: Faith in God, loyalty to king and country, upholding the constitution, the rule of law, and good behavior and morality. On enhancing national unity through the development of a unified education system, a national curriculum has been referring to the 4th principle of Rukunegara; the rule of law (Bahasa Melayu as national language). so the national schools are using Bahasa Melayu, as the medium of instruction and communication, medium of developing life and style and also medium for getting knowledge. By having everyone communicate and think in national language we can eradicate any suspicious against other people who speak in other language, we are more easy to live with them, eat with them and mingle with them. While International schools in Malaysia are funded by the private sector and teach an international curriculum using English as the main medium of instruction. Using English as a medium of instruction and communication in International school is against the National Principles (Rukunegara) number four ‘the rule of law’ which stated that Bahasa Malaysia is a national language and this will hamper the nation building that all Malaysians are dreaming to be. If the students in International school do not know how to speak in our National language (Bahasa Melayu) this indirectly will not assist our nation building in achieving unity.
Since gaining independence in 1957, the Malaysian government has been experimenting with various ways of creating a national identity that would unite Malaysians of different ethnic and cultural background. Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohammad (former Prime Minster of Malaysia for 23 years) once noted "Malaysians of all colours and creeds are free to practice and profess their customs, cultures and religious beliefs and yet feeling that they belong to one nation”. The notion of “Bangsa Malaysia”, which means “one Malaysian race” introduced by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad in 1991 as part of his vision of 2020, aimed at bringing greater national integration among the various ethnic groups within the country.
This unity of the nation is strengthen more when our current Prime Minister (Datuk Sri Najib Razak) launched 1Malaysia Concept on 16 September 2010 with the slogan ‘One Malaysia, People First, Performance Now’. To built One Malaysia we need to only have one language which is Bahasa Melayu and one school so that eventually people are only known as Malaysian, not based on their wealth. And as all of us already aware that International schools are really expensive for the non-expats and middle class income famillies. The the wealth-background students go to International school while the middle class students go to National school, this will make the gap becoming more wider between and the 1Malaysia Concept will not be achieve.
National schools encourage students of one race to make an effort to study using national language and understand the other races, their cultures, beliefs, and religions. Don’t look down on your own national language. National language can be a knowledge language, a ritual language, a commerce language, a law language and also a technology language. Look at China, France, Germany and Russia, they use their own national language and yet they are the major power on earth. In Malaysia for example: the Indians must understand all about their Malay and Chinese fellow Malaysians, and the same applies to the Malays and Chinese. Teachers who address the differences and add them to the curriculum will succeed in creating a multicultural classroom that will advocate the educational goals of all students and 1Malaysia Concept will become a reality. Some will think that this speech is racist, this is not racist. Racist is one who always fight for the right of his own race not with standing it will create injustices to other race. This is nationalism, a way to build nation state, to build One Malaysia, to build Bangsa Malaysia. By having one Bangsa Malaysia who speaks in one language and learn in one school, then only we can achieve equality in Malaysia.
Happy reading ;)
