English for Maths and Science

The Education Minister admitted that teaching maths and science in English has not improved the performance of the students in those subjects since the policy was implemented in 2003.

So, how now brown cow? Do we continue with the policy or revert to Bahasa Malaysia? IMHO, we should examine a few issues before we decide which language to choose.

The teachers
Do we have enough teachers proficient in scientific and mathematical English to effectively teach those subjects in English? I’m saying scientific and mathematical English because I feel the English used for those subjects tend to be technical in nature, it’s not the same as the English taught in your English literature class.

In what language were the teachers trained? If they were taught in English while at college or university, it would be unfair to make teach in Malay, vice versa. They would have to practically re-learn the subjects.

The students
Are the students proficient enough in English? Technical terms can be introduced and explained but if they have a poor command of English, how can we expect them to fully grasp the subject. They may not even understand the instructions let alone the teacher’s explanations.

So, how now brown cow?

Maybe what we should do is get the trainers properly trained. Make sure the teachers are able and capable of effectively delivering the subject in English. I’m sure we have many such teachers around but I’m also sure the numbers are quite small. Give a time frame, say five years for the teachers achieve competency. In the meantime, teach the subjects in English only in schools whose teachers (and students) are qualified to teach (and learn) in English. Gradually the number will increase and it will be done without putting anyone at a disadvantage. No, doubt two languages will be used to teach the subjects for at least the first ten years but eventually we will almost certainly get the desired result.

At the same time, the lower primary school students need to be given extra lessons (by qualified teachers) in English, especially those in the less urban areas where the command of English tend to be weaker.

I first studied economics in college and it was taught in English, I went on to study economics in an English university and my post graduate economics lectures were also delivered in English. I have never read a Malay economics text book. I was an economics lecturer for a brief period and I taught my students in English. I would have a tough time if was asked to teach economics in Malay, it would not be fair to my students. It would probably make them dumb and dumber.

Having said that, learning should be in any language, the idea is to obtain knowledge, what language is used to obtain the knowledge is of little relevance.

Learning English will not kill Bahasa Malaysia. Indiscriminately adopting English words into Bahasa Malaysia WILL kill the language. http://sam-bicara.blogspot.com/2009/01/whither-bahasa-melayu.html

What is a Malay?

Article 160 of the Federal Constitution defines Malay as a person who professes the religion of Islam, habitually speaks the Malay language and conforms to Malay custom.

I have a question, or rather a hypothetical situation.

There is this person, born in Tanzania but a citizen of Malaysia and lives in Dungun, Terengganu. His father is of Persian decent and his mother, Chinese. His paternal grandfather is African and his maternal grandmother is Anglo-Saxon. He is a staunch Muslim, having been on the pilgrimage twice and does the umrah every Ramadhan. He has a Master’s degree in Malay literature and currently teaches Malay language to form 5 students at the local school. He is also the president and promoter of the Malay NGO Persatuan Adat Resam Tradisi Rumpun Melayu Sedunia (PARTRuMS).

In short, he professes the religion of Islam, habitually speaks the Malay language and conforms to Malay custom. But, is he Malay?

According to the Federal Constitution, he is as Malay as I am. Maybe even more Malay than I am.

Life is ...

Leaving the house in the morning, dressed in clothes that you bought by credit card, driving through the traffic in a car you are still paying for, putting in fuel that you cannot afford, all in order to get to the job you hate but need so badly so that you can pay for the clothes, car, fuel and the house that you leave empty the whole day, in order to live in it.

I got this from a colleague - kind of true for some of us, especially those trapped in the rat-race or trapped while trying to compete with the Joneses.

The Malay Dilemma?

Another one from the “dilemma” series!

It is often lamented (maybe not so publicly) that non-Malays have no chance whatsoever to head a Government Linked Company (GLC). This is often blamed on the NEP which is not entirely accurate because if not for the affirmative action, there won’t be that many GLCs in the first place, the large corporations would probably still be owned by the British.

Anyway, back to the dilemma, it is true that all of the CEOs of the GLCs are Malays/Bumiputeras and it is also true that their position is attributed to the NEP (and its successors), via institutions such as PNB, EPF, Khazanah, MoF Inc. which acts as drivers of the policy. While it is true and beyond argument that Malays/Bumiputeras are the only types that head the GLCs it is also true that no Malays/Bumiputeras are heading the other equally large and diversified corporations which does not fall under the GLC ambit such as YTL, KLK, SP Setia, Hong Leong, IOI, Rimbunan Hijau, Lion, Berjaya, Tan Chong etc.

So, this lack of “opportunities” for the different races occurs on both sides of the fence, the GLCs and so called non-GLCs and therefore no one should be complaining. I however feel the choice of corporate leadership should not be based on ethnicity but instead on quality. Trust me, quality Malay/Bumiputera managers and leaders do exist and some are where they are not so much because of skin colour but also based on merit.

All we need is trust and respect for each other. Being of different race, religion or even political belief should not be a basis for distrust. Let’s be trusting of each other and rid ourselves of the unnecessary prejudices. Maybe then we can move forward to greater heights.

Ironies

I enjoyed this interesting article by James Chin (JC) in The Malaysian Insider; it really shows that we are full of contradictions, some to the point of absurdity.

Irony 1 according to JC – We are told communism is bad, they are evil, their past leaders cannot set foot in our country BUT our leaders visit the largest communist country in the world, forging political and business alliances with them … irony?

Irony 2 – Some quarters are against teaching certain subjects in English but upon closer inspection these people who objects to teaching in English were themselves educated in English, graduating from English medium institutions in English speaking countries.
To make the irony even more ironic, UiTM which is exclusively for Bumiputeras teaches in English while UKM, which is open to all races (subject to a quota of course), teaches in Malay.

The truth they say is stranger than fiction but the observations made by James Chin is a fact, a sad fact.

The Toll-gate Dilemma

Almost all the highways in Malaysia are privately owned. Projek Lebuhraya Utara Selatan (PLUS) owns the most highways (NSE, NKVE, FHR2, Elite, SPDH, BKE, Linkedua), other owners include Litrak (LDP); Prolintas (AKLEH, GCE); MTD (Karak, ECE); IJM (Lekas, Besraya, NPE); Kesturi (DUKE); SDE Holdings (SPGDE) and Silk Holdings (SILK)

Road users pay to use the highway and in return we expect a pleasant journey on well maintained roads, safe and clean rest facilities with decent and reasonably priced food outlets and rapid emergency response. I have little or no complaints on the services, they have been quite satisfactory.

However, I feel that all the highway operators should consider discriminatory pricing. No, I’m NOT suggesting that Bumiputeras get a 30% discount. I would suggest that discounts be given to users during peak periods. This is because we pay for convenience and during peak periods (school breaks, public holidays, Aidil Fitri, CNY, weekday mornings and evenings) we get very inconvenienced when on the highway. There is a long queue to use the toilet; you are unable to get parking at rest areas, driving faster than 60km/h is impossible due to the heavy traffic and worst of all is the queue to pay toll which can stretch for kilometres.

So, given all that, why can’t those bunch listed in the first para give us poor road users 50-60% discount during the peak periods, after all the traffic volume will surely compensate for the reduced price.

The Environmental Dilemma

Wrong to treat orang utans like human babies, say activists
Bukit Merah (near Taiping), Perak: An orang utan sanctuary where baby apes wear nappies, sleep in cots and are cared for by nurses dressed in masks and starched uniforms has drawn the wrath of environmentalists.
Tourists snap photos as they file past large windows looking onto a facility billed as the world’s only rehabilitation and preservation facility for the endangered primates.
Behind the glass, adorable baby orang utans like two-month-old Tuah lie swaddled in nursery sheets and cling to baby rattles.
But the care lavished on the animals, which are fed every two hours by a staff of seven nurses on duty round the clock, is lost on environmentalists who say this is no way to treat wild animals facing the threat of extinction.
A 2007 assessment by the United Nations Environment Programme warned that orang utans would be virtually eliminated in the wild within two decades if current deforestation trends continue.
Managers of the 14ha Island, which is part of a resort hotel development, say they aim to return the animals to their natural jungle habitat, but so far none have been released. The centre’s veterinarian defended the facility, situated in this tourist town, which opened in 2000 and now houses 25 orang utans.
(The Star 1 June 2009)

Despite the name, orang utans should not be treated like orangs. Animals should be left to be what they are, fending for themselves without human interference. Even when there is a need for human assistance to ensure survival of the animal species, it should be done in a manner that does not make the animals less animal. Some animal species by nature are hunters (Tigers for example). But once they get used to being fed fresh warm meat without having to hunt for it, they become lazy and in the end become less of a tiger.

So, stop molly cuddling the animals and let them be themselves.

On another note, it was noted that if current deforestation trends continue, the (wild) orang utan population will be eliminated within the next 20 years. That’s the thing with forests, we need them to complement our lives, i.e. we need wood to build houses, schools, hospitals, factories, furniture; we need land for farming and to breed livestock; we need space for the ever increasing population but cutting down trees (indiscriminately) for these purposes will cause other environmental issues. The rate of human growth outstrips the rate of reforestation.

So, how do we go about finding a balance between cutting down trees and meeting our needs? Do we say stop building new houses? But then the new families need a roof over their heads, where are they going to stay? Stop making furniture? Stop using fireplaces? Where are we going to rear the cattle? And we need land to plant vegetables.

It’s about time everyone; governments, industries, universities, Greenpeace, the UN and you and me to get together and come up with a win-win solution.

And no, limiting one person to one chair per lifetime is not a solution.

Scholarships

This time of year always brings news of deserving students (especially non-Bumis) failing to obtain scholarships to study overseas. It is a known fact that despite their smaller number, more Chinese students attain better results than their Malay and Indian counterparts. Therefore, based on merit, these students deserve to be given scholarships to study abroad.

Before going into the scholarship issue, why study abroad? I guess it is because most people have lost faith in the local tertiary education system. But is it justified? Is our education system so flawed? Or maybe the education is on par but the politics in education is the factor that drives people to seek overseas education?

My personal opinion is that, education at local universities only serves to teach the subject matter and not to prepare the students for the real world. The freedom to express their opinions is curtailed by acts of law. Universities have become a political tool instead of an arena for ideas and thoughts to develop. There are far too many restrictions.

Back to the issue of scholarships, how do we ensure equity in awarding scholarships? Do we base it on the number of “A”s? Or do we base it on financial standing? Or both? Or do we also factor in the sports and co-curricular activities?

Apparently there are 2,000 scholarships available annually to top scorers for overseas study. I’m not sure whether this includes pre-university studies or just for bachelor degrees. Let’s just say all the scholarships are for pre-university studies. Maybe a criterion should be set for those wanting to apply;

1. A minimum of 8 distinctions and includes English, Mathematics plus three or four subjects relevant to their undergraduate course of choice (e.g. Bio, Chem for those intending to do Medicine or Econs, Accounting for those desiring to pursue a Business/Finance related course or History, Literature for those wishing to study arts).
2. Household income of less than RM 4,000 per month, substantiated by documented proof such as income tax documents.
3. Participated in sports or co-curricular activities. Again must be substantiated by documented proof (a newspaper cutting showing the student winning a medal at the MSSM meet is also considered documented proof).

Each will be given a score, say for example 5 points for the 8 distinctions (even if the student has 16As, the score is still 5); 3, 4 and 5 points for household income of below RM4,000, 3,000 and 2,000 respectively; 3, 4 or 5 points for representing school, state or country in co-curricular or sports activities respectively.

A minimum of 11 points is required to qualify to apply.

The scholarship processing department will then rank all the applicants by the number of points obtained and the top 2,000 shall be awarded scholarships. Being scholarships, these students are upon graduation expected to serve the in the civil service for a number of years, say 5 or 7, failing which they will have to repay the total cost of their education in one lump sum. This is hoped to arrest the problem of brain drain.

Scholarship will also be given to pursue certain fields that are crucial to the nation or in areas where the country face shortages of skilled human resources. So, not everyone will get to study medicine.

If it so happens that 1,900 of the successful applicants are non-Bumis, then so be it. The Bumis will have to work harder to get the scholarship. That is what meritocracy is all about; giving what is due to the most deserving. We have no rights to anything unless we earn it.

So, what about those who just failed to make it? Those with, say 11 or 12 points. There must be a back-up programme for them. An interest free loan perhaps? Twinning programme? That’s another topic for another day.

VI Speech Day - 1958

It was during his speech at VI's Speech Day in 1958, the Hon. Minister of Education, Inche Khir Johari declared that all school children are to wear a uniform set of school uniforms.

The practice at that time was each and every school had their own uniform. With the standardised uniform, a student from one school is differentiated from another by the school badge that is worn on the uniform. So newsworthy were the Minister's proposals that it became the front page story in the following day's Malay Mail.

Other than making that announcement, the Minister also made a speech on racial unity; he said "...Over and above the ties of locality and race there are bonds of national unity, and transcending the loyalty of one's community or nation there is a higher loyalty to the entire human race. There is no ready made road towards this; we all have to unite to build that road. I am a Malay - born a Malay. I had no choice to be otherwise when I was born! But now I am a Malayan citizen - a citizen of a free and independent Malaya just like any one of you here. In other words, I am a Malay by accident but a Malayan by choice. You may be of Chinese or Indian or Eurasian origin but I want every one of you to consider yourself first and foremost a Malayan. It is only through having that attitude of mind that we can resolve our differences and prejudices and work solidly for the good of the country..."

He's right and still is right.

source: The Big School, A V.I. Odyssey by Chung Chee Min

http://shariah-finance.blogspot.com/

I've been posting a lot of materials on IBF, I think they deserve their own blogsite.

From 12 May 2009, all new IBF posting will be on http://shariah-finance.blogspot.com

IBF #15 – Risk sharing? What risk sharing?

An Ijarah wa Iqtina transaction typically involves the bank purchasing an asset at the request of the customer and leasing the asset to the same customer for a specified period. The lease is terminated at the end of the period whereby the bank transfers the ownership of the asset to the customer, or by the customer terminating the lease prematurely by paying a pre-agreed price to the bank.

Although the bank has ownership of the asset during the tenure of the lease, they are not expected to assume any risks associated with ownership and are protected against any negative movements in the market value of the asset. Instead it is the customer (lessee) who has to bear the risks of ownership and the risks of fluctuation in asset value. The profits banks make equals the returns for providing financing and independent of the market value of the asset. Sounds very much like the conventional finance lease doesn’t it?

My question is, where is the justice and equity in such a transaction? Why can’t banks treat ijarah transactions as operating leases? Unless negligence or breach on the part of the lessee is proven, why can’t the risks be borne by the rightful party, in this case the owners of the assets?

The reason why Islamic financing uses finance lease model is because it has / wants to conform to the conventional banking norms, to adapt to the conventional accounting treatment for banks and financial institutions.

Like I said before, IBF is a young, developing science but the development must be done in the right way lest it grows into a farce.

IBF #14 – Beware of Singapore and Hong Kong

I received sad news today. A very close associate in the office is leaving for Singapore. He has been my point of reference for Shariah compliance issues for the past 2 years and his loss will be deeply felt.

Another thing is – he’s leaving not only for a competitor bank but also a competitor country. Singapore (and Hong Kong) have been trying to join the Islamic banking bandwagon for quite sometime now and doing everything possible to gain a foothold.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has drawn up a guideline on the application of banking regulations to Islamic banking and Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has agreed to review tax laws to accommodate IBF transactions.

Malaysia has responded quite positively to the threats posed by these other jurisdictions by announcing that more Islamic banking licence will be given out to foreign Islamic banks including the setting up of a mega Islamic bank out of KL. This is a good step to strengthen KL’s foothold of the industry but Singapore and Hong Kong are traditionally centres of finance and they have the global presence and appeal that KL lacks. Hong Kong has the additional advantage of being one of the entry points to the still expanding Chinese market.

There is also this on-going debate about the Malaysian Shariah standards being less stringent as compared to that of the Gulf. The global market tends to look at the Gulf as the standard for Shariah compliance and as long as Malaysia is adamant on promoting its brand of Shariah standards, it may lose out especially when Singapore and Hong Kong are adopting the Gulf (read global) standards.

So, how does KL counter all these threats? For a start maybe it should start adopting the Gulf standard of Shariah compliance (in all fairness, Malaysia has done quite a bit to standardise the standards). Producing capable Islamic banking professionals, especially true Islamic bankers who were never conventional bankers is crucial to ensure quality IBF solutions are structured. Instead of setting up Islamic subsidiaries, why not convert existing conventional banks into Islamic banks and thus having the size right from the start. And of course, continuous public education on the merits of IBF should be pursued rigorously.

Despite its 1400 year track record, IBF is still a relative young and developing science. There is still a lot of room to improve and a lot of untapped markets to explore. It is still anyone’s game.

Political Maturity

I like what James Chin said in his article in the Malaysian Insider:

"It is time that we moved up the ladder in terms of our political development. We should not allow history to shackle us and hold us back. Just because a minority prefers Malaysia to remain a banana republic does not mean that all of us must behave like monkeys. We must learn to agree to disagree. We must learn that a difference in political opinions does not lead to chaos and emergency rule. We must learn that dissent has a place in a modern democratic nation. We must learn that the rule of law is the best guarantee for the nation’s future."

Maybe we should make that like a pledge and get all our lawmakers recite it every morning!

IBF #13 - It’s all About Branding

Quote from Dr Abdul Raman Saad, partner & founder of ARSA Lawyers.

“I would like to draw attention to the use of terminology in our industry. In Europe, especially in Germany, they do not use the term ‘Islamic finance’ or ‘Islamic banking’. Instead, they use ‘Shariah finance’ and ‘Shariah banking’.
Following the 11th September tragedy, the term ‘Islam’ sometimes gives people the wrong impression. The term ‘Shariah’, however, is more neutral and could appeal to a wider consumer base.
I recommend that we ponder on this and apply the term ‘Shariah finance’ instead of ‘Islamic finance’. Shariah has a more universal meaning and thus could embrace both Muslims and non-Muslims.”

Some people would disagree and ask why are we so afraid of the name Islam? I personally prefer the name Shariah Finance/Banking not because I’m afraid of the name Islam but like Dr Abdul Raman, I’m for a brand name which is acceptable to all. After all, IBF is for all regardless of religious or political belief. However, at the moment, Shariah based finance and banking is globally known as IBF, so in the name of uniformity, I shall refer to it as Islamic Banking and Finance, for now.

IBF #12 - Stepping out from the Conventional Bond’s Shadows

Sohail Zubairi of Dubai Islamic Bank’s unit Dar al-Sharia, likens Sukuks as the step-sister of Conventional Bonds. According to him, Sukuk is heading in the wrong direction because it is replicates the Conventional Bond.

New issuance of Sukuk completely dried up because Islamic banks were structuring them incorrectly from the start, According to him, authentic Sukuk issues should involve the company targeting investors first with a business proposal and inviting them to invest in the company or project. The company would also say how much it expected to generate from the project and the size of a potential return, payable regularly. The practice is however the opposite where companies looking to issue Sukuk had been approaching banks with a proposed sum of money they wanted to raise and soliciting bids — much like they would do if they were seeking to issue Conventional Bonds.

“Sukuk collapsed because the starting point was conventional. If the starting point would have been correct, I’m sure we would still have been up and running but the Sukuk market is unlikely to rebound until bonds do as it is so intertwined,” Zubairi said.

Again, this highlights the fact that Sukuks are not debt instruments and should not be treated as such. Bankers and Shariah advisers/consultants must take the bold step of issuing Sukuks in the right and proper way instead of mimicking the mechanics of the Conventional Bond.

Almost all Islamic banks in Malaysia offer corporate financing products identical to those offered by their conventional counterparts. They may be called by different names such as Murabahah Term Financing or Istisna’ Project Financing but the modus operandi save for some buying and selling activities are practically identical to that of the conventional alternative. I am of the opinion that these products are quite redundant as a Sukuk serves the same purpose but since the market equates Sukuks with Bonds, it often used to fund large ticket items and not to fund smaller scare projects which are traditionally funded through bank loans.

Sukuks need to step out from the shadows of the Conventional Bonds and stop behaving like a debt instrument.