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Merging Tamil SPM subjects

December 17th, 2009
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This is an interesting article by Mr Muthurasan. He echoes two things which I’ve said earlier: scrap Moral and merging the two Tamil papers into one at SPM level. I still think that there should be some time allocated for proper study before the 10, or 10+2, or 12 subject limit is implemented.
http://malaysiakini.com/news/120058

Merge Tamil language, literature to solve impasse

R Mutharasan
Dec 17, 09
1:59pm

There is no doubt that Tamil literature at the SPM level must be saved at all costs as there are many compelling reasons to retain it. Indian students should be given an opportunity to choose their own preferential subjects in addition to their core subjects especially if the preferential subject is their mother tongue. There should not be any hindrance to them in taking those subjects in the name of ‘capping’.

Worst still, in the name of solving the problem there should not be a system of ’10 + 2′ whereby the student taking Tamil language or Tamil literature is given ‘second-class’ treatment by saying that the subjects if taken outside the maximum 10 would not be considered for scholarships and CGPA grading.

I firmly believe that only a person who went through Tamil school at the primary level and took Tamil as a subject at the SRP/SPM/STPM examinations would be able to understand the issue better.

Although many Indian students go to Tamil schools for their primary education, only few excel in Tamil literature because in Tamil schools they only learn the subjects in the Tamil language but are not given enough exposure in Tamil literature content.

It is only when the family consists of Tamil scholars or enthusiasts willing to walk the extra mile to encourage their children to learn more about literature that the student develops an interest in the subject and ends up taking Tamil literature at the SPM level. Of course, there are also many Tamil school students who excel in Tamil language or literature out of their own interest and love for the language without any parental and family support.

The interest and enthusiasm of the Tamil school student for Tamil language comes to an abrupt end when he enters secondary school. Here, there is no opportunity at all for him to continue his Tamil education and many libraries in secondary schools do not even have Tamil books on their shelves.

Poor condition of POL classes

The only option for the enthusiastic Tamil school student to continue with his Tamil education is to attend the POL (People’s Own Language) classes. Again most secondary schools nowadays do not provide POL classes efficiently and even if provided the poor condition of POL classes at our secondary schools are well known and needs no further explanation.

Even if the POL classes are properly conducted by a qualified teacher, Tamil school students are grouped together with those coming from national schools and because of the imbalances in proficiency, Tamil school students are unable to improve their Tamil language by attending POL classes.

In conclusion, by attending a POL class, a Tamil school student doesn’t acquire anything more than what he had already acquired through his Tamil school education.

With all these obstacles, Tamil school students, through the support of family members and Indian NGOs providing Tamil tuition, go on to take Tamil as a subject at the SRP level and later at the SPM or STPM levels.

However, it is only at the SPM level, the student is given a choice of two subjects in Tamil, one in Tamil language and the other in Tamil literature. It is only at the SPM Tamil literature level that a student is given a taste of the rich Tamil literature through a proper examination syllabus. Therefore Tamil literature at the SPM level becomes important to a student who intends to further his knowledge and education in Tamil.

A survey would show that most students who take Tamil literature at the SPM level also end up taking Tamil at the STPM level. At the STPM level, there is only one subject in Tamil but it also covers the literature component. Therefore it can be seen that SPM Tamil literature is also a training ground, providing the confidence to students to take Tamil at the STPM level.

It is students who take up Tamil at the STPM level who end up filling up the Indian quota in Malaysian public universities since most of them get good grades in Tamil at the STPM level which helps them increase their CGPA grading thereby landing them a place in a public university.

Fall and rise of SPM Tamil literature

Even though they are interested, many Tamil school students have been avoiding taking Tamil literature at the SPM level because they feel it is a tough subject to score and takes up a lot of time of study because of the literature content. It is also an additional burden to them if they are already taking nine or 10 subjects including Tamil language. Most Tamil school students who opt for science stream do not take Tamil literature because of the heavy load of content in science subjects.

Many parents also do not encourage their children to take Tamil literature at the SPM level as they feel taking one subject in Tamil is more than enough. By the time a student reaches SPM, the parents also become confused as to what extent they should give priority and importance to Tamil as a subject even though their love for the language is unquestionable. The general feeling is that concentrating on other core subjects and scoring a good overall grade is more important than concentrating on Tamil language or Tamil literature.

Another reason students avoid Tamil literature is that there are not enough study materials to assist them. It is also difficult to get someone qualified to teach you on the subject. Therefore there is a vast difference in the number of students taking Tamil language and Tamil literature at the SPM level.

Coupled with these and many other reasons, it is not a surprise that in 1998 the number of students taking Tamil literature dipped to a mere 300 or so. When there were indications that the subject may be scrapped completely from the SPM list due to lack of students taking it, the Indian community sprang into action.

Many Indian NGOs and Tamil enthusiasts encouraged students to take Tamil literature and some Tamil scholars came forward to provide tuition for these students without any consideration for remuneration. Study materials were also prepared by qualified teachers to assist the students. Parents were also coaxed into encouraging their children to  take Tamil literature as a subject to further the student’s knowledge and in the process, to preserve the subject at the SPM level.

With all the efforts put together, the number of students taking Tamil literature soared to more than 4,000 by the year 2008, a remarkable achievement indeed.

It is this particular aspect that the Indian community is irked and irritated about. When the number of students taking Tamil literature was dwindling, the Education Ministry and in fact even MIC leaders did not do much to improve the situation. It was the Indian NGOs and Tamil enthusiasts who in their own capacity took it upon themselves to increase the number of students taking Tamil literature without any political or government assistance .

But when their efforts are bearing fruits now, just with a stroke of the pen, the ministry and in particular, the education minister, are killing the spirit and enthusiasm of Indian students who are eager to take Tamil literature despite all the obstacles.

Merge Tamil language and literature

The time has also come for the Indian community to rethink about the subject in the context of changing educational needs of the student. We need to apply rational thinking, taking into consideration the modern trends in education together with the burden for the student to be torn between Tamil language and Tamil literature.

One of the best solutions to overcome the current impasse would be to merge Tamil language and Tamil literature into one paper at the SPM level.

With this change, most of the students wishing to take Tamil at the SPM level would be able to take the subject within the ‘maximum 10 subjects’. Furthermore, if the student wants to take Tamil outside the maximum 10 subjects then the student should be allowed to drop Moral studies (which is compulsory now) in order to take the Tamil paper.

This means that Moral studies subject would become optional for those students willing to take Tamil and compulsory for those not taking Tamil. The Education Ministry should appreciate that it is more important for the student to take his own mother tongue rather than moral studies.

The ministry should also appreciate that Tamil literature whether modern or classical, have one of the highest moral values in their subject content. Classical literatures such as ‘Aathi Choodi’ and ‘Naladiar’ are in fact highly regarded texts on moral values. Let us not forget ‘Thirukkural’ which has been translated into so many languages and today stands tall as the epitome of all moral values a piece of literature can offer.

Even modern literatures by Tamil scholars like Mu.Varatharasan have always been appreciated for promoting moral values and some of his works have been included in our Tamil syllabus at the SPM and STPM levels.

All such books and other Tamil literatures put together would be able to convey the moral values much more effectively to a student than what the ministry intends to provide through their Moral studies paper. Therefore, by having only one Tamil paper at the SPM level and by making Moral studies optional, the current impasse could be overcome easily.

The Indian community should also appreciate that Tamil Literature in this country had been preserved and taken to the next level by Tamil writers and poets who enriched the local Tamil literature through their writings and contributions.

Many of our most notable Tamil writers and poets did not enhance their language skills by taking Tamil literature at SPM or STPM levels. All their basic interest and knowledge in Tamil language came from their Tamil school education. Therefore Tamil literature in this country would evolve by itself and would remain forever in this country through the enthusiasm of many writers as long as there is Tamil school education. It doesn’t matter whether there is Tamil literature at SPM level or not.

Therefore the emphasis should be on Tamil education at Tamil schools and not on Tamil literature at SPM level.

R Mutharasan is an observer and writer on Malaysian politics and Indian issues. He is the web-master of www.indiantoday.net and has also authored the book “Winning Strategies of Anwar Ibrahim”.

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UN 1965 International Convention of Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination

December 16th, 2009
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Interesting to know that our country has not signed nor ratified this particular convention. No prizes for guessing the reason, which makes it difficult to implement the convention in our laws and legislations.  As mentioned below, countries like Thailand and Laos are moving ahead in this matter.

The government must decide on its priorities with regards to inking the 1965 International Convention of Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD).

United Nations resident coordinator in Malaysia Kamal Maholtra said the government needs to decide internally and solve its constitutional contradiction before signing any UN convention.

“Apart from Article 153, there is a clause that provides for the equality and freedom to its citizens, therefore the government needs to decide on its priorities,” he told a press conference at the sidelines of a seminar in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

Kamal was asked if the signing of ICERD will contradict with section 153 of the federal constitution which guarantees the special privileges of the bumiputera.

Nevertheless, he said the government is in fact looking into other aspects of the six conventions recommended by the UN which has not been signed by Malaysia.

In his speech earlier, Kamal disclosed that the government has only signed three and ratified two of the nine core international human rights treaties.

Malaysia has only signed and ratified the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (Cedaw) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Both were signed with reservations in 1995.

“In addition, Malaysia has also signed but not yet ratified the 2006 Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,” Kamal said.

On the issue of sustaining human rights, the UN coordinator is of the view that a strong culture must be embedded within Malaysians and this should start with young children.

“Human rights education should also be a continuous effort and it would be best if the education curriculum entrenches human rights issues as well,” he said.

Meanwhile, UN human rights officer Pablo Espiniella explained that some governments have reservations to sign and ratify conventions because of the fear that they cannot fulfil the requirements and therefore have to face international repercussions.

“The process is as such where after the government has signed and ratified any convention, there should be moves and efforts to assimilate these principles into local laws and legislation,” he said.

However, he said, the UN will hold dialogues, provide support and expertise to the government to implement the principles of the conventions once they are recognised.

Pablo also said that with Thailand signing seven out of the nine human rights conventions and Laos closely catching up, he hopes that this momentum will encourage the Malaysian government to do the same.

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NGOs as tools for politics

December 16th, 2009
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Below is information from an unidentified source from MIC, if we are to believe the news by MK.  While its true that many NGOs are sprouting, especially after Nov 2007 and March 2008, I don’t all are as alleged by the source, funded or aligned to the opposition. And if they are, they should clarify which party/leaders fund them. This must also apply to MIC since it also has some “friendly” NGOs aligned to it. You can’t have two sets of rules, can you?

I don’t agree with the campaign for 12 subjects for SPM being tool for opposition. I think if such protests and outbursts were not done, MIC would have been quiet and let the issue fade away. As it is, the problem is still not solved, what more if no one made some noise.

This problem is not limited to Indian parties only. The other parties also have NGOs aligned to them, ready to make noise when needed.

As for me, I think in name of fairness, NGOs office bearer must not be members of any political party. Then we can see how many are actually sincere in community service. And nope, I’m not a member of any political party, nor interested to join any one of them.

Some opposition political parties are using certain Indian NGOs to do their work of opposing or questioning decisions of the government concerning the Indian community, an MIC source said, adding that the party has devised a strategy to counter this.

The source said that of late, several small Indian NGOs have mushroomed, though not registered, and were being backed “silently and financially” by certain Indian opposition figures, including elected representatives.

“They (the NGOs) are being used to instill hatred among certain sections of the Indian community towards the government and BN while the opposition takes a back seat,” it said.

The source cited the Education Ministry’s ruling to cap to 10 the subjects for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination and said a few people calling themselves “Save the 12 SPM Subjects Committee” have inflamed the issue and created confusion as well as hatred towards the government.

It said the opposition realised that there has been “a change of heart” among the Indian community towards the BN since the last general election after several initiatives announced for them by Prime Minister Najib Razak, including a RM100 million allocation for the edevelopment of Tamil schools.

“There is now a swing to the BN by the Indians and the only way for the opposition to reignite their hatred for the BN was to use these NGOs as decoys or a tool.

“They (the opposition) will feed information to these NGOs and finance their activities, including organising forums and protests in community halls and hotels,” the source said.

It said the MIC has been monitoring the activities and the NGO leaders’ background.

“Some of the NGO leaders are members or hold posts in opposition parties but they do not reveal their identities,” it said.

The source said the MIC was mobilising many of its “friendly” Indian NGOs to counter the opposition’s strategy although he admitted that it was “a bit difficult to identify the rogue NGOs”.

“Meetings will be held behind closed doors with these MIC-friendly NGOs soon,” it said, adding that the move was crucial to maintain Indian support for the BN, especially in the next general election.

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Waytha, Public Enemy No 1

December 16th, 2009
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This is serious allegation indeed. All along, I thought “Dadah” was “musuh negara”, but it seems BTN says its Waythamoorthy. Hmm…were the presentation materials screened? Is it standardised across all camps?

Hindraf is dead set against the National Civics Bureau (BTN) courses as it demonises the movement’s chairperson P Waythamoorthy in its modules as Public Enemy No 1.

It’s political wing, the Human Rights Party’s pro-tem secretary-general P Uthayakumar alleged that the Nov 25, 2007 Hindraf protests are screened at BTN courses, and an image of Waythamoorthy is shown, captioned as ‘musuh utama negara’ (public enemy number one).

Meanwhile, DAP’s Kota Alam Shah assemblyperson, M Manoharan said he feared for Indian Malaysians as BTN trainees have systematically implemented Umno’s racist, religious and supremacist policies.

“The standard operating procedure is to implement (what is) taught at BTN courses. They are attemping to portray Indians as dangerous and violent people,” said Manoharan.

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PAS cannot compromise on its position

December 16th, 2009
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I really can’t see how DAP and PAS can work together. Its still OK now since they are not the ruling coalition. But for how long this will remain status quo? If one cannot compromise, then its left to the other. Would DAP drop its Malaysia for Malaysian idea? Would it accept a middle path of one country two laws?

I don’t like the idea of an Islamic state. Its a bad, bad, idea to run a country according to a specific religion especially when the population is nearly equally divided. It may have been practical 1500 years ago, but not now. The leaders now are not as good as those in the history books. This would only lead to disaster as rights can be usurped, laws can be misinterpreted, rules dictated according to one faction.

Today the Tok Guru is around, so things can still be talked and negotiated. What if later some Taliban-style leaders lead the party? We can easily end up like Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, or other Islamic countries that have loads internal problems.

PAS is immovable on its stance, same as DAP on its stance. Both opposite sides of the pole. This is a dead end.


Within Pakatan Rakyat, there is frequent objection to issues like hudud law or the Islamic state. How far is PAS willing to compromise? For example, DAP usually has a different opinion on these issues.

No man can have it easy all the time. Some times we fall ill. Even doctors fall ill. God has created the world this way – there are angels and demons, good and bad, heaven and earth. As Muslims, we live by the teachings of the Prophet. When someone is lazy, we preach about diligence. They then become hard-working. Cowards are told tales of bravery. They become brave. The wayward are taught about the pious (and) become religious.

There is no need (to quarrel). Say what you want, but listen to our reply. Don’t make accusations and (then) when I reply, you don’t listen. Tak boleh! (This won’t do). Islam means you should ask questions. If you don’t understand (our policies), ask.

So you mean that PAS cannot compromise on its position on hudud law and the Islamic state?

How can we compromise? This is our ibadat (religious obligation). If we reject the meaning of Islam, we are rejecting our ibadat. God created man to follow ibadat, which is not restricted to just praying.

So how will PAS go about this? Some younger people in DAP can accept PAS, but veterans like national chairperson Karpal Singh, are more adamant about the party’s secular position.

Tidak apa (It is no big deal). Karpal Singh is someone very senior. Sometimes, when people kacau (agitate) us, we have to look at them first. Sometimes, we look at them at say, ‘Let him be. He is old. Let’s respect him’.

People who speak like Karpal Singh are getting fewer. He is a watak lama (old player).

So Tok Guru, you are willing to talk…

Yes. We can discuss. I like it very much when people ask me questions. If I can answer, I will. If the topic is beyond me, I will ask the person to ask someone else.


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