#506 Mahathir's only wisdom left

Kinda the only issue that Mahathir is actually thinking properly before talking.

from the Star Online.

LANGKAWI: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak can override his deputy Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also the Education Minister, over the reversal of the Teaching of Science and Mathematics in English (PPSMI) policy, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said on Friday.

The former premier, who introduced PPSMI in 2003, said a reversal of the policy would result in Malaysians being backward and ignorant.

“The idea of going back to Bahasa (Malaysia) in Mathematics and Science will make us all very backward.

“It's not that I don't have any respect for Bahasa, but the fact is that science is a different subject altogether - it is not static knowledge, it keeps on growing with research every day.

“We have to have access to that research otherwise, we will be backward,” Dr Mahathir told reporters here yesterday.

He said opting for English in the teaching of Mathematics and Science did not mean the country was being disloyal to the national language.

“It's not being disloyal. Being loyal only through language is not sufficient. (Instead,) be loyal through the progress made by Malaysians.

“If you want to teach the other subjects in the national language, that's fine, I support that. But I have to be practical. You don't want Malaysians to be ignorant.

“In this age of science and technology, if you don't progress in science, you cannot make any progress,” Dr Mahathir said.

Dr Mahathir, who was on Thursday sent copies of 7,000 signed petitions from the Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia (PAGE) calling for PPSMI to be retained as an option in national schools, said Najib could overrule anyone if it was for the good of the country.

“If it is something for the good of the country, not only the Education Minister, but everybody can be overridden.

“Just hope people don't get angry and refuse to vote for Barisan National,” Dr Mahathir said.

In July 2009, it was reported that the PPSMI policy would be reversed with Mathematics and Science reverting to being taught in Bahasa Malaysia in national schools, and in Chinese and Tamil in vernacular schools starting from 2012.