KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 28: Star Publications (M) Berhad group Managing Director Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai has come in guns blazing to defend Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi over his ineloquent speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) last week.
“The Deputy Prime Minister has never hidden the fact that he needs to improve his command of the English language.
“In fact, he openly tells his friends that he has to brush up on his English now that he needs to speak at international meetings,” said Wong in an article on StarOnline.
He said that it comes as no surprise that Zahid’s English speaking skills at the UNGA last week was not exactly posh and smooth.
“Let’s face it – Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is not the product of a British boarding school nor is he from a top notch or elite university. In fact, he did not even have the benefit of studying at a missionary school, where English was the medium of instruction.
“Dr Ahmad Zahid came from an entirely different background. His parents were not aristocrats nor were they from a lineage of Umno leaders. He wasn’t born with a silver spoon in his mouth, so to speak.
“He had his primary education at SK Sungai Balai and secondary at SM Agama Izuddin Shah in Ipoh and then Sek Tengku Ampuan Rahimah in Kelang. These are schools not in the category of St John’s Institution, St Xavier’s Institution, Penang Free School or the Royal Military College,” said Wong.
Wong then praised Zahid for taking the road less travelled by giving his speech in English rather than taking the comfortable route of speaking in Bahasa Malaysia.
“But I think Malaysians should give him credit for trying. His message was easily understood by most of us.
“He could easily have used Bahasa Malaysia, played the nationalistic card and claimed that he was the first Malaysian leader to use the national language at the UN.
“He could even have quoted Quranic verses to push his religious credentials. After all, such messages were meant for the Malaysian audience.
“But he chose English — the more difficult option. He has been ridiculed but he shouldn’t give up. Practice makes perfect and from now, he should try to deliver as many speeches as possible in English,” said Wong.
Wong then said that even though Zahid’s English is heavily Malay accented but then, UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon’s English is Korean accented and added that the same applies to leaders from India despite their strong grounding in English.
Wong then took a swipe at other leader for being hypocrite over this matter and those on social media and question if the keyboard warriors have a good command in their National language Bahasa Malaysia, let alone be able to give a speech in the language.
“Our hypocritical leaders, who tell Malaysians to send their children to national schools, are packing their own children off to boarding schools in UK, or private and international schools in Malaysia.
“It isn’t vernacular or national schools causing disunity, as erroneously claimed, that we should worry about; the issue that we should all be concerned about is the declining standard of education in Malaysia — that includes the shocking standard of English taught in our schools or the lack of it.
“Those who laugh at Dr Ahmad Zahid should first ask themselves whether their command of Bahasa Malaysia is any good, what more give a speech in the national language.
“These are the Malaysians who turn up at government departments, using English and expecting the clerks to be able to reply in crisp Queen’s English. And when they can’t, they express shock, dismay, followed by harsh criticism,” said Wong.
The social media has since been in frenzy, criticizing Zahid over his speech, saying that it was embarrassing that the Malaysian had given a speech in such poor English.
http://www.themalaysiantimes.com.my/the-star-boss-defends-zahids-ineloquet-speech/
