There are heated discussions on the DLP issue. As usual, this will eventually turn into a Melayu-against-others political affair.

In one sense, Fadhlina is right that many are not mastering Bahasa Malaysia. I know because my sons had a hard time. Why? Because we speak English at home and watch all the movies in English as well as read my collection of Archie comics and Enid Blyton books.

So, when my sons were almost failing BM, I had to take some drastic measures. The only readings worth the interest of my two boys were the supernatural stories in Majalah Mastika or Pesona.

I do not like filling their heads with Malay ghosts and bomoh, but what to do? All the other Malay books are boring and the interesting ones are just translations of Western stories and fables. The Malay stories were too preachy for words!

Anyway, I digress. The subject today is the elimination of the Dual Language Programme that has the parents and teachers in an uproar.

Malaysians are so sensitive nowadays. Stockings, bak kut teh, shoes and subject language, and the country can turn topsy turvy. Aiya what to do, it’s the Internet, I guess.

For me, as a citizen, I do not know what the fuss is all about. If we decide to axe the DLP, so be it! That’s not our decision.

There is very little value in insulting Bahasa Malaysia as a second-rate language no one else speak outside Melaka and Kelantan. There is also little value in making English look so good like it’s a saviour of some kind.

No, that is not the issue. For me, axing the DLP is fine if the Ministry of Education can assure us six things that MUST be there, or else the DLP should just as well be reinstated.

First, can the ministry allocate double the periods for English by reducing Bahasa Malaysia language period?

This will, of course, send the likes of Akmal in a frenzy of spouting hatred and malice against the likes of me and others. But I stand my ground.

People like Akmal stand only on sentiment, but I stand on simple facts and argument.

All other subjects are already in Bahasa Malaysia, why must the BM subject have so many periods? Tak perlulah!

This is not being unpatriotic or un-Malay. It is just common sense and being scientifically pragmatic.

Second, can the ministry hire extra assistants to all English teachers with classes of more than 20 students?

If an English teacher, like my wife used to be, had to teach 45 students in a class, matilah ini macam! We are fooling ourselves.

How to do it? Just get retired English teachers or free all those useless administrators walking the corridors of the Ministry of Education. Send them back to school.

Third, can the ministry assure us citizens that there will be books of worthy and exciting reading in the libraries of all schools, and not just MRSM or SMS ones?

I learned English through reading books and comics, talking to non-Malay friends and also watching all the TV shows in English.

On my own. I learned English 90% through reading and the TV. But please, do not put so many SPM questions/practice exercises in the library. Get the bookshop people to help the teachers who hopefully also love reading.

Fourth, stop taking teachers from the likes of UPSI only and look elsewhere for good speaking Malaysians.

What is this nonsense of paying European teachers enormous salaries when you can hire seven teaching assistants or four full-time teachers for the same amount of money?

Any politician talking about hiring Singaporeans or Mat Saleh should be chastised severely for wasting money.

There are many private university students in Malaysia who speak and write good English, but their degrees are not recognised to be teachers at public schools. Only students from public universities, however teruk their English, are accepted if they pass their degree certification. This policy MUST change.

Fifth, why are public universities teaching courses in English? I understand UiTM is full English. Why insist on science and mathematics to be learned in BM and then the students have to convert their knowledge to English? This contradictory policy between the Higher Education Ministry and the Education Ministry is shameful.

If we want English at public universities, use the DLP at schools, and public universities can choose to teach in English or not.

But axing the DLP must come with the decision to have all first-degree courses to be in Malay.

I taught Structures in Architecture in Malay as Kerangka dan Struktur Bangunan. I taught Theory and History of Architecture as Sejarah dan Teori Senibina. I translated and wrote books on architecture in both BM and English. What is the problem?

I had my architecture students write in Malay for their assignments and research topics so that they could not cut and paste from the Internet their Design Thesis Projects and Topical Studies.

Then came the order at UTM to teach all in English. Why?

Ranking requires a certain number of international students and these people do not speak Bahasa Malaysia. Kera di hutan disusukan, anak sendiri mati kelaparan.

Sixth, I would like to suggest that the ministry sponsor three-week English camps at schools. These camps must be of mixed races and must speak English 100% of the time for those three weeks. Broken English pun tak apa! Manglish juga okay punya!

When I taught English to 60 Malay children in my kampung, I used Reading, Speaking and Singing. Tests and grammar grill comes much later.

Once the children are unafraid of pronouncing the words and can speak broken English, then and only then would I introduce a little bit of grammar.

But reading, listening and speaking are absolute keys. You can get that in camps because Malaysians are all useless at this time.

We are polarised by race in demography of location not only in rural areas, but also in high-density urban areas.

So, by all means, buang the DLP but make sure you have these six things resolved and committed to first. Otherwise, don’t sell our children’s future by pandering to some loud-mouthed Malay politicians and a tempurung Malay political party.

(Prof Dr. Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi is Professor of Architecture at a local university and his writing reflects his own personal opinion entirely.)