On 21st April 2025, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek announced that Malaysia will be expanding its elective language offerings in schools to include ASEAN languages such as Thai, Khmer, and Vietnamese. Speaking at the Empowering Education Summit 2025, she stated that Malaysia’s bilingual foundation in Bahasa Malaysia and English is now evolving to support deeper regional collaboration. “ASEAN’s strength lies in its diversity of cultures, languages, and traditions,” she said in her keynote address. “To harness this, we must ensure our young people are multilingual, adaptable, and culturally competent.”
I beg to differ.
While I understand the spirit of regional unity and collaboration, I strongly disagree with the Ministry’s push to introduce more ASEAN languages in our schools—especially at a time when many Malaysian students still struggle to master the basics of Bahasa Malaysia and, more critically, English. These two languages are the backbone of our national identity and our gateway to global competitiveness. And yet, proficiency in both—particularly English—is alarmingly low among students across the country.
Instead of expanding the language menu, the Ministry of Education should first ensure that every Malaysian student can communicate confidently and effectively in English. This should be our top priority before any attempt is made to introduce elective subjects in foreign languages.
In the following paragraphs, I’ll share several reasons why mastering English must come first—not last—if we’re serious about improving education in Malaysia.
1. English is essential for higher education and future careers—especially in STEM
For many universities and global workplaces, English remains the dominant medium of instruction and communication. Without a strong grasp of the language by the time they finish secondary school, Malaysian students will be at a serious disadvantage—not just academically, but professionally. This is especially true for students planning to pursue fields like science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), where much of the terminology, research, and collaboration happens in English.
Globally, over 400 million people speak English as a first language, and it holds official or primary language status in more than 90 territories, including Singapore, Canada, the UK, the US, and Australia. Mastery of English opens doors for Malaysian students to study, work, and thrive in these countries.
But even for those who plan to stay and work locally, English remains crucial. According to the Malaysia Education Blueprint (2013–2025), poor English proficiency has consistently ranked among the top five concerns of Malaysian employers since 2006. Whether we’re talking about STEM careers or service-sector jobs, young Malaysians must be equipped with English skills that meet real-world demands—long before we start adding other languages into the mix.
2. English unlocks access to a world of knowledge and learning
Proficiency in English gives students access to a far richer pool of learning materials, tools, and information than they could otherwise reach. Let’s say a teenager in Malaysia needs help with a Math or Science problem. They’ll probably search for a video tutorial on platforms like YouTube or look up an explanation on sites like Khan Academy—both of which primarily operate in English.
While some content is available in Bahasa Malaysia, the vast majority of high-quality educational resources online are in English. This includes academic research, science journals, coding tutorials, and even AI and big data discussions—fields that are growing rapidly and reshaping the future of work.
English isn't just a language; it’s the key to staying updated on global innovations. Top research institutions like Harvard, Oxford, and Cambridge publish groundbreaking work primarily in English. To stay current with technological and scientific advancements, Malaysian students must first be fluent enough to understand and apply the knowledge being produced. Otherwise, we risk falling behind in the global race for innovation.
3. English boosts competitiveness in the global job market
As economies become more interconnected, the ability to communicate and collaborate across borders is more important than ever. Companies operating in multiple countries—especially in tech and STEM industries—expect employees to work seamlessly with international teams, and English is the common ground.
For Malaysia to develop a future-ready workforce, we must ensure students not only understand science and technology but can also articulate ideas clearly in English. Global companies like Microsoft and Amazon have already invested heavily in Malaysia, bringing with them opportunities that demand English proficiency. Whether or not students plan to work abroad, the reality is this: most high-paying, high-impact jobs within Malaysia still require a good command of English.
And again, this isn’t a new issue. Employers in Malaysia have long flagged poor English as one of the biggest weaknesses among fresh graduates. Instead of sidestepping the problem by adding new languages into the curriculum, the Ministry of Education should double down on what really matters—ensuring that every Malaysian student is proficient in English first.
At this point, some of you might say, “But Aaron, countries like China, Japan, and Korea teach STEM in their own languages, and they're doing just fine.” Fair point. But here’s the difference: those countries are technological powerhouses. They lead in R&D, manufacture cutting-edge tech, and invest billions in homegrown innovation.
Malaysia, on the other hand, is not on that level—not yet. We still rely heavily on foreign direct investment (FDI) to drive our tech sector, and most of these companies operate in English. We don’t have the luxury of insulating ourselves linguistically. If we want to move up the value chain, we need a workforce that can speak the language of global business, research, and innovation. Until we fix our foundations—especially English—any attempt to expand the curriculum with foreign electives like Thai and Khmer is putting the cart before the horse.
Let’s not romanticize multilingualism while sidestepping the reality that many of our students still struggle with the basics. Fix what’s broken before adding more weight. Only then can we build an education system that’s not just inclusive and diverse—but also practical, future-ready, and competitive on the world stage.
Aaron Colt is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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