Malaysians now required to pass English to graduate

A new government policy will require Malaysian university students to first pass the English language before being granted their degree.

Speaking at the launch of talent development programme Cyberjaya Graduate Employability Enable 2 (CGEE 2014), Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said he has discussed this matter with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and will be announcing more details soon.

Muhyiddin, who is also Malaysia's Education Minister, said graduates' basic knowledge of the language is "not enough" if they are not able to effectively communicate, New Straits Times reported.

"MNCs today have a certain benchmark, and want people who are not only qualified but people who can be ambassadors and communicate with the rest of the world," he said.

"And one of the important requirements is the ability to communicate in English."

Currently, English is taught as a second language in Malaysia, and Muhyiddin believes it is important to build students' confidence in speaking and writing in English.

"We want to make sure before they leave university, we will make English a mandatory-pass subject besides Bahasa Malaysia. This is a new policy I am announcing today - English is a must pass," he said.

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