Warisan vows to have DLP in all Sabah schools if elected to power
Sabah recorded the second-lowest score among Malaysian states in the EF English Proficiency Index.
PETALING JAYA : Warisan has pledged to implement the dual language programme (DLP) so that Mathematics and Science are taught in English throughout Sabah if it is elected to form the state government.
Kota Kinabalu Warisan secretary Loi Kok Liang said the party would make the DLP a core education policy and implement it comprehensively if it is returned to power.
'In today's globalised world, we cannot let the next generation of Sabahans to be left behind.
'English is not just about personal development. It is a cornerstone of national competitiveness,' Loi said in a statement.
He noted that Perak had made visible progress in English proficiency, emerging as the most English-proficient state in the country, according to the 2024 EF English Proficiency Index.
The EF English Proficiency Index evaluates the skills of adults in the language in over 100 countries. Perak had the highest score of 585 among Malaysian states, followed by Kedah and Penang, with 583 points each.
Sabah recorded the second-lowest score among Malaysian states with 553, while Melaka ranked last with 550.
Loi said Sabah must not be content with merely observing others but must act decisively to move forward.
The party also intends to regularly monitor the implementation of the DLP programme. It also wants to integrate English use into the workplace in the tourism and services sectors.
Loi said for real educational reforms to take place, Sabah must reclaim authority over its education policies.
'Warisan therefore pledges to re-establish the Sabah education ministry, empowering local experts to craft policies that reflect Sabah's unique context and multicultural needs.'
The state education ministry was abolished in 2020, when the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah government took over the administration of the state.
Since then, education matters in Sabah have been subject to federal jurisdiction.
In May 2023, deputy prime minister Fadillah Yusof said granting Sabah and Sarawak administrative authority in education and health was one of the important matters discussed by Putrajaya's Malaysia Agreement 1963 secretariat.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Free Malaysia Today
19 minutes ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Penang GLC ordered to pay nearly RM120k for firing pro-opposition staff
The Industrial Court ruled that Penang Tech Centre Bhd had dismissed Sivakumar Kanniah (right) and Jason Raj Kirupanantha (left) without just cause. GEORGE TOWN : A Penang government-linked science centre has been ordered to pay RM117,560 to two staff sacked for backing an independent candidate in the 2023 state election. The Industrial Court ruled that Penang Tech Centre Bhd, which runs Tech Dome Penang, dismissed Sivakumar Kanniah, 48, and Jason Raj Kirupanantha, 38, without just cause. Located in Komtar's geodesic dome and launched in 2016 at a cost of RM23.2 million, Tech Dome showcases interactive science and tech exhibits to inspire students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Sivakumar, a pioneer staff member who rose to operations manager earning RM5,200 monthly, was awarded RM92,560 in back pay for two years, minus income earned after his dismissal on Nov 15, 2023. Jason, a senior government affairs coordinator, was awarded RM25,000 for the early termination of his contract, which had been set to run until March 31, 2024. He was dismissed on Nov 9. Both men sought reinstatement and extra damages, but the court declined, citing no bad intent from the company and a breakdown in trust. Tech Dome claimed they had breached trust by campaigning for independent candidates aligned with former deputy chief minister II P Ramasamy, and accused them of disloyalty for opposing the DAP-led state government. It argued that, as a state-owned company, it had to remain politically neutral, and that staff should not support opposing candidates. During the hearing, finance and HR manager Emily Seah said 80% of Penang Tech's income came from public donations, including from both government MPs and assemblymen. Asked how supporting an independent candidate affected the company, she replied: 'Some YBs might feel uncomfortable because the campaign was against the state government.' However, Industrial Court chairman Jeyaseelen Anthony found no specific bans in either employee's contract or the company's code of conduct barring political activity. He said that while both men held key positions, their political involvement did not amount to misconduct. Sivakumar was accused of showing 'disloyalty and a lack of integrity' by linking the company's name to an independent candidate and posting political messages on Facebook. The company claimed he was warned before but had repeated the behaviour. However, the court found no evidence of any prior warning, verbal or written, or a domestic inquiry before his dismissal. In Jason's case, the court said he had applied for five days' leave from July 31 to Aug 4, 2023, to campaign. The leave was approved by the CEO, weakening claims of misconduct. A WhatsApp exchange between CEO Khoo Boo Wooi and Jason, tendered as evidence, further supported this. Khoo wrote: 'TDP (Tech Dome Penang) is a science centre, not subject to politic (sic) to KO (knock out) easily.' Jeyaseelen also noted that the state assembly was dissolved at the time, with Penang under a caretaker government. 'The respondent is a state government-owned company and not owned by any political party,' he said. He rejected the company's argument that the men had broken an unspoken rule of loyalty, saying such terms must be clearly written in contracts to be valid grounds for dismissal. 'If political neutrality was essential to Tech Dome, the requirement ought to have been expressly written into the claimants' employment contract or the code of conduct,' he said. Lawyer Shamsher Singh Thind represented Sivakumar and Jason, while lawyer P Subramaniam represented Tech Dome.
Free Malaysia Today
20 minutes ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Speed up Cabinet approval for GP consultation fee hike, says MMA
On May 6, the MMA and other GP groups submitted a memo that included a call for a consultation fee review before enforcement of the mandatory drug price display rule. (Freepik pic) PETALING JAYA : The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) has renewed its call for the government to urgently approve a long-delayed hike in consultation fees for general practitioners (GPs), saying stagnant rates for over three decades are pushing clinics to the brink. The call follows a joint memorandum submitted by MMA and other GP organisations to the Prime Minister's Office after a peaceful assembly on May 6. The memo urged the government to review outdated consultation fees before enforcing the mandatory drug price display rule. Dr Kalwinder Singh Khaira. MMA president Dr Kalwinder Singh Khaira said they had since met health ministry officials and presented a clear, evidence-based justification for fee adjustments. While the government's final decision will consider all views, he called for the justification they had provided be taken seriously and for the Cabinet to expedite the review. 'The 33-year-old unchanged consultation fees have taken their toll and will only worsen the survival rate of GP clinics,' he said in a statement today. Kalwinder also expressed hope that the National Action Council on Cost of Living, chaired by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, would urgently address the issue and allow GPs to present their challenges. He said the delay in increasing GP fees was threatening the survival of primary care clinics across the country. 'The long-awaited fee revision is not about profit. It is not about worrying about its effect on healthcare inflation, which occurs predominantly in secondary and tertiary care. 'It is about ensuring the survival of primary care, which is the most cost-effective arm of our health system,' he said.
Free Malaysia Today
20 minutes ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Decade-long wait ends for buyers in abandoned Johor house project
Johor menteri besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi handing over the ownership certificate to house buyers of the abandoned housing project in Johor Bahru today. (Facebook pic) PETALING JAYA : After more than a decade of waiting, buyers of the abandoned housing project in Taman Permata Layang, Simpang Renggam, Johor, have finally received their certificate for home ownership. Johor menteri besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi said this project was close to his heart as it was within his own constituency of Simpang Renggam. 'I have been championing it since I first became an elected representative. 'Resolving the issue was no easy task – it required on-the-ground efforts, careful planning and close collaboration between various agencies,' he shared in a Facebook post today, Bernama reported. Onn Hafiz today handed over the home ownership certificates to the buyers of the 47 units of affordable homes, each priced from RM42,000. He hoped this achievement could serve as a stepping stone towards resolving other abandoned housing projects in Johor.
