SINGAPORE: The Malaysian Ministry of Education announced on Jan 7 (Monday) that a programme to enhance English proficiency among Malaysian students will start by the middle of this year.
The Malaysia-Singapore English Volunteers Programme (MSEVP) document exchange ceremony took place between Malaysia’s Minister of Education, Fadhlina Sidek and the Minister of Education of Singapore, Chan Chun Sing, as part of the 11th Malaysian-Singapore Leaders Settlement Session in Putrajaya.
It was witnessed by the Prime Ministers of both countries, Singapore’s Lawrence Wong and Malaysia’s Anwar Ibrahim.
Malaysia’s Education Ministry, Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia, published photos of the document exchange, adding, “Good bilateral cooperation between Malaysia and Singapore can benefit the citizens of both countries in various aspects including education.”
The pilot programme would last one month long, reported the Malay Mail, and will begin mid-year in a number of schools in the Klang Valley. However, Malaysia’s Education Ministry has also said preliminary studies will be conducted before the programme is fully implemented.
“The selection of schools is being carefully conducted, considering all aspects, including the programme’s impact on the involved schools and students,” the ministry statement reads.
An exchange of a Letter of Intent (LOI) between the Singapore International Foundation (SIF) and Yayasan Guru Tun Hussein Onn will signal the start of the programme
In June last year, Mr Anwar’s remarks on Singaporeans teaching English in Malaysia stirred up a lot of buzz, even though he later clarified that what he meant was a “volunteer programme” meant to boost English proficiency in Malaysia and strengthen ties between Singapore and Malaysia.
Malaysians did not take too kindly to the issue, which stemmed from a June 12, 2024, joint press conference with Mr Wong at Putrajaya.
The National Union of the Teaching Profession expressed unhappiness with Mr Anwar’s proposal, claiming that there are enough Malaysians who can enhance English proficiency among students.
Former minister Rafidah Aziz, meanwhile, chimed in to say that Putrajaya should hire retired English teachers to do the job.
Some parents, meanwhile, also weighed in on the matter, saying that the root of the problem needs to be identified and addressed, and lessons and textbooks should be revamped and made more appropriate and enjoyable for young Malaysian learners. /TISG
