PETALING JAYA, Dec 14 — Selangor will offer free online foreign language classes from next year as part of a broader push to strengthen multilingual skills and steer Malaysia away from divisive debates over language, said Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari.
The initiative reflects the state government’s belief that language should be seen as a competitive strength rather than a source of division, especially as Malaysia seeks to keep pace with rapid technological change.
“Language should be seen as a strength to allow us to compete on the international stage.
“That is why from next year, Selangor will offer language classes in Arab, Mandarin, Tamil, French, German, and Spanish for free online, so that Selangorians will be fluent in at least three languages, besides Malay and English,” he said during the state-level Christmas celebration at the 1 Utama Shopping Centre today.
Citing Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s statement yesterday on the need to elevate and master Bahasa Melayu while simultaneously pursuing proficiency in other languages, Amirudin said that the commitment to uplift the quality of the national language, English, and communal languages like Mandarin and Tamil, is timely.
Anwar’s remarks came after recent calls for the government to recognise the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC), in which he said that there would be no compromise on the importance of Bahasa Melayu, the national language, even as calls for UEC recognition continue.
“As the Menteri Besar of Selangor, I believe this commitment is timely. I say this because in Selangor, we have recognised the UEC (Unified Examination Certificate) since 2015.
“I was a member of the state executive council then, and I fully supported that proposal, because we have to provide choices to our students to uplift their living standards through education while strengthening our national identity as Malaysians.
“I say this because, as Malaysia attempts to keep up with the world’s fast-developing technologies, we should not spend time debating who should learn Malay, English, Mandarin, or Tamil. Because if we focus on the nitty-gritty matters that lead to division, we will be left behind as a society,” he said.
Amirudin added that youths must also be fluent in technology, including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and emerging innovations.
When asked by the press to elaborate further, the Menteri Besar said the programme, initiated by Selangor Public Library Corporation (PPAS) during the Covid-19 pandemic, had received strong support.
The programme was previously conducted in collaboration with language centres and had cost RM10, but will now be provided online for free, serving as a foundation for more advanced language learning.
He noted that the state government will also provide a 50 per cent fee discount to 4,000 students enrolling at Universiti Selangor (Unisel) and Universiti Islam Selangor (UIS) next year to improve access to higher education, regardless of financial background.
