“Singaporeans are not that fluent in English” – MP Says Retired M’sian Teachers are More Qualified to Teach

In response to hiring English teachers from Singapore to educate Malaysian students, politician Jimmy Puah said it’s not necessary to do so.

In the recent Parliamentary session, the Member of Parliament (MP) Jimmy Puah said that Malaysians, especially retired teachers, are more qualified for the job.

“Personally, I do not consider Singaporeans as being very fluent in English. In fact, I believe that many Malaysians are more expert and more fluent in English.”

Jimmy also clarified that he is not against the government’s decision to work with Singapore in this matter but he reminded the government NOT to leave Malaysians behind, whom he believes are more qualified for the part.

As for the retired educators, Jimmy also said that it’s the best time to reach out to them to seek help in teaching the students in rural areas.

“We have many retired teachers who are not working at the moment, so why not get in touch with them to teach English?”

Last month, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said he had discussed with Singapore PM Lawrence Wong about the possibility of bringing in English teachers from Singapore, and said the cost would be fully borne by Singapore.

The Minister of Education, Fadhlina Sidek also said that the ministry is happy to receive help from both sides – English teachers from Singapore and retired educators from Malaysia.

“We will identify suitable Singaporean volunteers before bringing them into Malaysia, to ensure the quality of teaching,” Fadhlina said.

What do you think of the idea of bringing in English teachers from Singapore? Do you agree with Jimmy’s take on this?

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