Mandarin demand is discriminatory

"Wednesday May 31, 2006

KUALA LUMPUR: The private sector should stop the practice of making it compulsory for local graduates to be proficient in Mandarin, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said.

The Deputy Prime Minister urged the private sector to be open in accepting and training local graduates without including certain requirements and looking at their background.

"I have checked some advertisements, where the criteria for potential employees includes being proficient in Mandarin," he said when winding up the debate on the Ninth Malaysia Plan at Dewan Negara yesterday.
"It is discriminatory. Such a practice should stop. "

Najib, who was replying to questions concerning unemployed graduates, said the number of graduates had almost doubled from 45,000 in 2000 to 85,000 last year. He said that according to a survey 32% of the graduates had yet to secure jobs after completing their studies last year.

He said the Government would intensify efforts instilltil the entrepreneurship culture in universities.
"We believe that with exposure to the business world, graduates will be more interested in becoming entrepreneurs upon completing their studies," he said.

This news has probably aroused my fury. I don't think mandarin demand is biased. Mandarin is so important nowadays. Yet, Singaporeans who has once neglected Mandarin sensed its importance and endeavor to accentuate Chinese in their education. They could feel a sense of foreboding since China implement the open-door policy and initiate developing few years ago. What's wrong with those privacy companies to create such a demand?

I believe the main purpose of this discourse is to shield those aborigines in this country. Moreover, the idleness of most graduates is not because of mandarin demand. May I ask which race is the highest unemployed graduates? I should answer: those aborigines.

Let us take this in the other way. That's good to learn more languages other than only our mother tongue. Actually, Mandarin demand is just an additional requirement. To increase the opportunities of getting a job, it's good to learn Mandarin. Honestly, I'm quite frustrated with those Chinese who do not master their first language. some of them even don't know how to write their chinese name. Don't they ashamed?

Also, what was "private sector to be open in accepting and training local graduates without including certain requirements and looking at their background" meant? This is not fair to the private sector to employ a worker without any requirement. They are not creches! The companies need to pay salary to those who are not qualified furthermore?!
I am stuffed with chaos.

The government should not accuse the private sector just because of Mandarin requisite. Of course this is not the issue. If those graduates really have the potency and vigor, I suppose they will not possibly be jobless. Those authorities should act on something that does really make sense rather than made a futile discourse.