Why Learn History?

A group photo with kids of Nunawading Elementary School, Melbourne.
These kids could speak a little Malay and sang 'Geylang Si Paku Geylang' for us.

amoiglam, Afiq, PW1(R) Nik Zainal Abidin(Abang Nal) and me
while visiting Afiq during his PLKN training earlier this year

Of all the subjects in the world, why learn history? I think Pak Lah was absolutely right when he suggested that the new Malaysian generation to learn about history while in their elementary school. I think I started learning history when I was only 8 years old while in Standard 3. I remember Mr. Basheer my favourite history cum English and also P.E. teacher taught us history in a very unique way. He was a very versatile teacher indeed. In fact he was the favourite of many pupils. He came from Penang. He used the method of making history as stories to tell and slit in some jokes. I remember him teaching us how to pronounce some unfamiliar words and terms like Alfonso d' Albuquerqe as 'Alfonso di Abu Kaki' so that we could remember easily or acronyms like the V.O.C. in full, that is 'Vereenigdee Ostindischee Compagnie' (The Dutch East India Company ). It really made our tongues twisted. See? I could still remember those words... In fact he made us to like history even though I always hate to remember the dates. That was what almost put a stop to my interest in history. I hate numbers but not when counting money!

Yes, if you are a government servant you will need to look back at our country's history and understand the importance of everything that had happened before and why things happened to be as it is now. History has got nothing to hide. Sooner or later the truth will prevail. We in the government service have to understand and analyze historical facts to pass in our compulsory government exams. Otherwise we would just have to quit and seek for other jobs. I am not saying that the government is always right, but as a Malaysian citizen we must truly understand how the multi-ethnic nation was built to seek independence from the British the gentleman's way. I am not with any political side but I think understanding the real history is essential to every living citizen of Malaysia.

In fact, the old education system has some positive agenda if not all. During my schooling age we were made to learn about the history of other countries as well. We learned about Joan of Arc, Napoleon Bonaparte, George Washington, Mahatma Ghandi, Pandit Jawarhalal Nehru, Jose Rizal, Kamal Attartuk, Sun Yat Sen and other people's struggle for freedom. That was how we manage to have some comparisons. We in Malaysia have never encountered such tremendous challenges like what these important names have had to go through just to achieve freedom and independence and yet we are still being ungrateful. We want change but we don't really know what kind of change that we are asking for. The truth is that we came from different education backgrounds, different living environments and totally different kind of upbringings.

Sometimes I have to ask our education policy makers, why they must change the good parts of the existing education system. Was it just for the sake of changing or was it because of some idiotic ideas of some arrogant politicians who would just want their names to be documented as somebody who changed the education system? The same thing refers to changing of teaching Maths and science in English. Did you ever realize that in our constitution, it is clearly stated that Bahasa Melayu is the official language to be used in our education system? I am not surprised if one day somebody would make a police report that the government has abused our own constitution, hehehe.... I am not suggesting, ok? Actually I have read a book by somebody who claimed that he was among the individuals who had suggested that Maths and Science be taught in English because he did not find the Malay language adequate in providing the right terms in those related subjects. Surprisingly this fellow was a former lecturer who had taught some Malay medical students during the early years in UKM which taught medical science in Malay and found difficulties in explaining them in Malay.

I think this fellow was not a good lecturer and has some attitude problem himself . That was why he kept on blaming the Malay language instead of his own weaknesses. The funny thing is that this so called Mat Salleh wannabe doctor now resides in Canada and has the guts to criticise our education policy. Is he that good? Why not just cari makan in Malaysia then? I don't want to reveal neither his book nor his name. Find it yourself then. Just for a clue, his name might start with the letter 'B'. I can consider him one of those who always worship whatever that is English to him...

I might be writing in English for some unexplained reasons but I have a very high respect for our very own unique Bahasa Melayu. Believe it or not, there are actually more than 270 million Malay speaking people in the entire world and Malay language stands among the top ten of international languages out of 6,500 languages of the world. Elementary schools in Australia have included the Malay Language as one of the languages to be taught as international languages for their students. Don't be surprised if you meet a small Australian boy or girl speaking a few simple Malay words when they meet you. Even The Military School in Australia also taught the same. In fact I have witnessed a few of them while visiting a school in Melbourne Down Under. Countries like China, Korea, Japan, The US, Germany, Russia, The Netherlands have their own Faculties of Malay Studies in their universities because they have long found that Malay language is important to them. The China Radio International (CRI) in Beijing has a Malay and Indonesian broadcast section which airs everyday in the Malay Language. You can find their live broadcast through the internet and are using their own Chinese nationals as DJ's. If you wish to visit Beijing and have a Malay speaking guide you'll be surprised that they have a shipload of them. These guys and beautiful gals speak fluent Malay sometimes better than our own chinese friends in Malaysia and even suggested to us the prayers time and stops during our tour around Beijing. They only use their Malay names to make us feel at home. Believe me... Go and check for yourself. They sure know the economic values of learning Bahasa Melayu...at least.

Forget about the politicians and our current political situation now. What we have to do now is to go back to the library and start reading about our own history and also read about other people's history and biographies of people like Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tan Cheng Lock, Tun Dr. Ismail, Ghazali Shafie, Chin Peng, Ibrahim Yaacob, Ahmad Boestamam, Shamsiah Fakeh, General Tan Sri Ibrahim, Dato' Onn, Tun Razak and even Lim Goh Tong, then you will understand why... Don't simply listen to your friends or just read from the bloggers. Go and read my friends!