Employers Rank English as One of the Top Five Job Skills Required
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According to the Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF), English proficiency is one of the top five skills that prospective employees must have to be hired and advance in their careers.
According to MEF president Syed Hussain Syed Husman, the association's 2021 salary survey of executives and non-executives revealed that the top five skills required for candidates to be hired were:
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Critical thinking,
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English proficiency,
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Interpersonal skills,
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Flexibility, and
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Adaptability.
He said that English is emphasised for recruitment and advancement in careers. Those with a good command of the language receive better starting salaries, faster progression, international postings and assignments.
He stated that the private sector required English-speaking employees to be able to perform their duties competently in a globalised marketplace.
His remarks follow former second finance minister Johari Ghani's statement that a good command of English was necessary for youths from low-income households to advance in their working lives.
He stated that English would enable employees to communicate more effectively with their coworkers. He went on to say that fresh graduates with poor English were finding it difficult to find work now because employers wanted workers who could communicate across borders.
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English proficiency continues to be a sought-after skill for employers.
The effects of government policy
Former school principal V Chakaravarthy claims that the decline in English proficiency among Malaysians began in the late 1970s when the focus shifted to Bahasa Malaysia as the medium of instruction in schools.
He said that he supported Bahasa as a unifying factor, but Malaysians slacked off on English, the language of mathematics and science. Chakaravarthy added that poor English is now an impediment to one's progress in life.
He stated that Malaysian officials attending international conferences had become "wallflowers," afraid to speak due to a lack of English proficiency. He said that those who speak up at such conferences are from Singapore, Hong Kong, India, and Pakistan.
A valuable national asset
Former MP Tawfik Ismail stated that knowing or wanting to learn another language does not make one less patriotic. He also said that English is now regarded as a universal language rather than the language of colonisers or imperialists.
He stated that countries that have been at war with Britain and lost had not boycotted the English language. Tawfik added that knowledge of English is required for well-paid employment and sound education.
He explained that the use of the English language is one of the reasons Malaysia is popular with international students and businesses. He added that as a result, ironically, it is a national asset that many people are unaware of.
Source: Free Malaysia Today