By Umie Syazwanie Mohd
KUCHING: Some members of the public are of the opinion that politicians who are not fluent in the English language should maintain the use of their native language by bringing an interpreter when speaking in front of an audience.
This was suggested by Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Jemut Masing recently.
Members of the public mostly agreed with Masing’s suggestion so that information could be delivered effectively to the people.
Ahmad Junaidi Ahmad Hadzmy, Lecturer
I agree that it would help the audience understand the minister’s speech better. The minister will speak more confidently and will be able to focus on delivering the content of their speech without having to worry about their pronunciation or grammar. If they do not want to use the services of an interpreter, they need to go back and take English language lessons.
Nur Hanani Kiplie, Finance executive
It is appropriate to use the services of an interpreter because there will be language constraints and we want the information to be conveyed clearly to the audience.
Thomas Jana, Executive leadership industrial trainee
I agree with the suggestion that the elected people’s representatives bring in translators to ensure that the information conveyed to English-speaking listeners is clear and accurate without causing confusion.
Feyzelyne Matakim, Nurse
By doing this, it will help to prevent any misunderstanding. It would also bring confidence to them and they could speak in their own language. Moreover, not being fluent in English does not invalidate their knowledge.
Jamil Usop, Teacher
I agree with the suggestion that politicians not fluent in English should just speak in their mother tongue and let a translator help them, especially when speaking to a foreign audience. At the same time, this can open up job opportunities for translators.
Fatin Hazwani, Student
As politicians, they should not be ashamed to use their mother tongue when dealing with an English-speaking audience. Get help from an English language expert for a translator to assist in conveying the content presented.
