KUALA LUMPUR, May 11 — Dr Ridhuan Tee Abdullah called today for laws to be enforced to uphold Bahasa Malaysia, despite Johor ruler Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar’s recent recommendation that Malaysia follow Singapore’s English-medium education system.

The controversial columnist noted in his column on Malay daily Sinar Harian that China, Germany, Iran and France uphold their own languages and that the development of those countries have been successful.

“Won’t we look good speaking in Malay during the United Nations assembly? Plus, they have translators,” Tee said.

“Finally, are people objecting to my proposal because there are too many who aren’t fluent or who can’t speak in Malay? If that’s the case, then it’s time for laws to be enforced to uphold the national language,” he added.

The lecturer at the Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin’s Research Institute for Islamic Products and Civilisation recently proposed for election candidates to have a minimum credit in Bahasa Malaysia in the Form Five SPM examinations before they can contest to be federal or state lawmakers.

The Election Commission (EC) then reportedly said it would study Tee’s suggestion.

DAP’s Seputeh MP Teresa Kok, however, said Tuesday that the EC should leave it to voters to decide their own criteria for electing representatives instead of considering whether to make it mandatory for lawmakers to be proficient in Bahasa Malaysia.

Tee pointed out today that the US, where 322 languages are used, is united because of the use of English as its national language.

“Not only that, evidence shows that the economy of immigrants improves by learning the national language. Why do we want to learn so many things from America, but why not in the issue of upholding language?” he said.

Johor ruler Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar has reportedly called to emulate Singapore’s single-stream education system that uses as its medium English, the world’s lingua franca, saying that such a policy will foster racial integration and produce a united and harmonious society.