PUTRAJAYA - THE aim of making Malaysians more proficient in English has not changed with the decision to revert the teaching of Science and Mathematics to Bahasa Malaysia, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said.

'The aim remains the same. There is no change. Only the method in reaching the objective is now different,' he told a press conference after chairing the SME development council meeting here yesterday.

He was responding to reaction to the decision by the Government to revert to using Bahasa Malaysia in the teaching of the two subjects.

Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on Wednesday announced that the subjects would be taught in Bahasa Malaysia or in the mother tongue in vernacular schools from 2012, while English would be given prominence by beefing up the teaching of the language.

Datuk Najib said the Government was aware how important it was for Malaysians to be proficient in English.

He said increasing the time allocated to teaching English, introducing English literature and language laboratories, among others, would be a better method in boosting proficiency in the language than using it to teach Mathematics and Science.

Datuk Najib said reverting to Bahasa Malaysia would not pose a problem as it has been proven that 'we have be able to produce doctors and professionals by teaching the subjects in Malay.'

'Many doctors went through the education system in Malay right through university. Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia has produced a number of good doctors.

'There is no question about quality being compromised or affected,' he said. -- THE STAR