KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 21 — The Sarawak government made a rash decision when it adopted English as the language of the administration, Malay business groups here said, expressing fear that the policy could end up widening the state’s social class divide.

The groups — the Malay Economic Action Council (MTEM) and the KL Malay Chamber of Commerce (DPMM) — questioned the rationale behind what they believe to be an unnecessary move, and warned that it could create unnecessary discomfort among the rural folk who converse more fluently in Bahasa Malaysia, the national language.

“Inequality is growing, between the middle income and the lower income groups. English [proficiency of the latter group] is still either at the medium or lower level.

“The use of language that is different from their day-to-day conversation would turn them away,” MTEM CEO Mohd Nizam Mahshar told Malay Mail Online when contacted.

He also argued that Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem’s decision appeared to be without proof of efficacy and suggested that the state first conduct a study to determine which language is more prominently used by Sarawakians.

“We shouldn’t allow [sentiments] distort what the actual medium of communication is for the majority.

“Lower medium and low income classes are still the majority even among urbanites,” he said.

DPMM (KL) honorary secretary Datuk Aslah Abdullah questioned the need to add another language for official matters when he noted that there was never any problem before with the use of Bahasa Malaysia.

“There has never been any language barrier. Why try to change? Everyone already speaks Bahasa Malaysia, from city folk to people in the kampung (villages),” he told Malay Mail Online.

“Iban and Kadazan people also speak Bahasa Malaysia as well. This decision will only push more people away,” he added, echoing Mohd Nizam’s remarks.

Adenan had earlier this week told a state civil service gathering that English is the official language of the administration, along with Bahasa Malaysia, and that government correspondence can be in both languages.

The first-term chief minister also cited recent reports claiming that graduates here have been finding it hard to get employment because of their poor command of English and said this proves his point on the need to be proficient in the language.

On Thursday, state minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Openg explained that Adenan was merely upholding Sarawak’s right under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 to use English as the state’s official language.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said recently that Malaysian graduates often lose out in the job market as they lack confidence due to their poor command of the English language.

The Umno president said that despite scoring well in their examinations, Malaysian graduates still struggled to secure jobs because they fail to persuade employers that they possess the qualities sought after in the corporate sector

Parents groups have been lobbying the government to reintroduce the teaching and learning of Science and Mathematics in English (PPSMI), a policy introduced in 2003 but discontinued seven years later.

English-language lobbyist such as the Parents Action Group for Education (PAGE) continue to push for the return of — or at least the option for parents to choose — the discontinued policy that they contend was needed to improve the mastery of English as well as technical subjects.