From: ustai@memstvx1.memst.edu
Newsgroups: soc.culture.asean
Subject: Discussion of various stuff (was Re: Anwar Ibrahim's Qualifications.)
Date: 19 Nov 92 15:41:20 -0600
Organization: Memphis State University

In article <1992Nov18.095314.10029@ntuix.ntu.ac.sg>, eoahmad@ntuix.ntu.ac.sg (Othman Ahmad) writes:
> kshan@kean.ucs.mun.ca wrote:
> I hope you do as well. Do you know the function of a head master? Is he
> required to teach? I'm sure you'll be enraged at being controlled by Malay
> educated education officers.

	Yes, actually a headmaster, the penolong kanans, etc etc all have to
teach.  They teach very little, of course, but they have to teach.  You will
notice that they usually handle the "non-test" subjects like Civics, Kesihatan,
etc etc.  If I remember correctly, they have to teach something like 5 to 10
hours a week.

> : head master and the students to communicate, if the head master doesn't 
> : know mandarin nor Chinese cultures ? Would you be happy, if I send a 
> 
> YOu are saying that a non-mandarin speaking chinese DO NOT KNOW anything about
> chinese culture. Don't you know that the chinese characters are the same no
> matter what dialects they are. I'm not clear about the potential head master
> candidates.

	You are changing the subject.  Not that I agree, but so what if the
chinese characters are the same?  What's important is does the new guy know
what's going on (with regards to the culture).  What are the criteria for
choosing the new HMs?  I know of malays (well off ones even!) who expose their
kids to the chinese culture by sending them to a "chinese" school.  Would you
(kshan) have trouble with that?  Basically I feel that if a chinese can be the
headmaster of a sekolah kebangsaan, then a malay can be a headmaster of a
sekolah (jenis) kebangsaan, providing that both know "what is going on."

> There are a lot of those in Singapore. Why can't we promote him even if he
> only learns a few Mandarin words?

	That's Singapore.  I think it would extremely difficult to find such
creatures in M'sia (ie, teaching in chinese schools, but can't speak chinese)

> : Chinese or Indian head master who didn't know Bahasa Malaysia to a Malay 
> Why not provided he knows how to administer well? They are weak in Maths
> so a good Maths teacher may be a better head master.

	Agreed with the first part, but what is the second part about?  Anyway,
I don't see many non-bumi headmasters in sekolah kebangsaan (converse is true
too, of course...)
>  
> I thought this is the intention of the Malaysian government to promote
> National Integration. I'm sure previous education ministers have done it in
> stages.

	And then went on to become prime ministers...  Interesting...

> 	One thing is sure though, the standard of Malay and English in these
> schools is very poor according to a recent survey I read from New Straits
> Times(Malaysia).

	However, the standard of english in M'sia as a whole is also very poor.
When I listen to the kids talk in the secondary schools (quite a "good"
school), I was so shocked at their standard of english.  The teachers were very
disappointed with their attitudes, saying that my batch was better (strut strut
pride pride :) :)).  And some of them can only speak english(!) with smattering
of broken chinese that they learn from the movies.  
> 
> : Wake up, Mr. Othman, we are talking the character of a future PM ! If he 
                                                           ^^^^^^
	Potential...  There are other rumours out there...  Until the UMNO
elections take place, no one would know.

> Wake up everyone. The most important criteria for a PM is the prolong of 
> MANDARIN language and OLD chinese culture. ALL others do not matter, even when
> it is now proven in Thailand, Philippines and Indonesia that the main barrier
> to cultural integration is through common language. Even when economic
> necessity means the emphasis in English language, like in Singapore.

	Hmmm... didn't you agree a couple of weeks ago that diversity is good? 
If everyone uses the same language, then we wouldn't be able to use the cuss
words of the other languages... :)  Anyway, in Thailand, Philippines and
Indonesia, the *VAST* majority was of one race.  The tiny minority can either
adapt or get swamped.  M'sia is slightly different.  You have a *tiny*
majority, and then there is the reason for the NEP!  Yes, the common complaint
that the chinese controls the economy (I would prefer to use the term "rich" in
place of chinese since all the rich people cooperate to get even richer,
regardless of skin colour!)
> 
> : and his some sort of "Malay studies" to show all the Chinese netters ? Didn't you 
> : praise him for getting an honour degree in "Malay Studies", while he was put 
>                             ^^^^^
> ARE YOU ATTEMPTING TO LIE AGAIN HERE? To get just an honour degree is nothing.
> I said FIRST CLASS HONOURS.

	That's just splitting hairs here.  Honour degree doesn't automatically
mean that it's 2nd class and *NOT* first class, does it?

> 	Do you know what that means? How many people can get first class
> honours from UM, even in Malay Studies? Are you saying a Malay expert 

	Then the rest of the people who didn't get honours are scum who are not
worth living?  Didn't you mention a couple of posts ago that only (paraphrased, 
no archive here) first class honours were worth something?  If it's that
difficult, then shouldn't the others be worth something too?  Your question
seems to indicate that you think that very few honours are given...

> is not qualified to become the PM of MALAYSIA  but a MANDARIN expert IS?
> Or how about a DENTIST, or a high school graduate, are they more qualified?

	He didn't say that.  But I would prefer someone who is more that a high
school graduate, and have some experience in governing.  Someone like all our
PM's so far.  But in the end, the public would make the decision so the
question is moot. 

> Why don't you read carefully my questions and answer them, honestly??

	Well... I tried.  Ciao.

-Tai
Newsgroups: soc.culture.asean