KUCHING: An academician at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) remarked that knowing another language always opens up another window as well as opportunities.
Chinese language lecturer, Lam Kai Chee, said having people who are competent in Mandarin can help the state to understand and explore the needs of the international markets that predominantly use Mandarin.
In this regard, he said, of course, mainland China is one of the potential markets, but nearby markets such as Singapore and even Indonesia are also not to be neglected, since there are also a significant number of Mandarin-speaking communities there.
Under the concept of “global village,” Lam noted that establishing the language channel can enable Sarawak to penetrate international markets in terms of commercial, tourism, agriculture, natural resources, and more.
He said Mandarin is no doubt one of the major languages in the world.
Aside from the enormous population of China and its practical and economic values, he added that Mandarin also has rich cultural and aesthetic values embedded in the language.
Within China, he said it makes communication among people in the country possible. Outside of China, it serves as the language for foreigners to get to know the country.
“The value of the language is evident when there are approximately two hundred million people using and learning Chinese (including Mandarin) globally,” he said to New Sarawak Tribune.
He was asked to comment on a recent statement by Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg that said Sarawakians should master English and Mandarin to help the state become a global player in various fields.
Abang Johari was quoted as saying that as more Sarawakians gain proficiency in English, they may aid Malaysia in realising its goal of being a progressive nation by using their proficiency to excel in a variety of sectors in keeping with the country’s development.
Given that Mandarin is one of the world’s most widely spoken languages and Sarawak has an open economic policy, he added, it is important that more people in the state grasp the language, which would help the state prosper.
As such, Abang Johari said, to encourage the mastery of Mandarin, the Sarawak government had recognised the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) –a standardised examination under the Malaysian Independent Chinese Secondary Schools (MICSS) system.
Apart from using Mandarin as its medium of instruction, Lam said Chinese medium schools have always placed emphasis on producing students who possess all-rounded development in ethics, intellect, physique, social skills, and aesthetics.
Traditional values such as propriety, justice, integrity, and honour are also instilled in such schools, said Lam.
