MIRI June 5 — State Transport Minister Datuk Sri Lee Kim Shin has described the proposed policy of punitive action against federal civil servants for using English as uncalled for, saying that such a move, if implemented, will cause the country to go backwards.
Lee, who is Senadin assemblyman, also supported Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Datuk Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah for slamming the proposed policy of punitive action against federal civil servants for using English.
“Such a move is uncalled for and instead of progressing and keeping up with globalisation trend, our country will be going backwards.
“As far as Sarawak is concerned, we have the right to use English as an official language apart from Bahasa Malaysia as stipulated in the (Federal) Constitution and under Malaysia Agreement 1963,” he said in a statement.
Lee said instead of punishing federal civil servants for using English, they should be encouraged to learn and raise their standards in the language if the nation were to have a world class civil service apart from the use of Bahasa Malaysia.
“We are living in a globalised world and an information and communications technology (ICT) era where English is widely used. It is an international language.
“To gain latest knowledge in science and ICT, especially various software and applications, we need to have working knowledge in English. When our government officers go overseas to attend training courses, workshops, seminars, conferences or delivery conferences papers, meetings and et cetera, English is the language that is widely used.
“It is therefore an irony to ever think of coming up with a policy to take punitive action against the civil service for speaking or in the use of the English language.”
Abdul Karim was recently quoted as saying that the federal government’s proposed policy to punish civil servants for using English was “silly and stupid”.
He said civil servants should instead be encouraged to master the language to improve dynamism. — Borneo Post
