Top jobs only for those who know the language well

By HARIATI AZIZAN and LEE YEN MUN sunday@thestar.com.my

PETALING JAYA: It does not matter if you are top of your class or have a string of degrees, that dream job will not be yours unless you can speak and write well in English. Feedback from local and international employers shows that verbal and written communication skills in English remain the most sought-after attribute in prospective employees. According to a recent Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) survey, it is the most important trait employers look for when recruiting graduates. The MEF Salary Survey for Executives 2010 revealed that 68% of the companies surveyed named communication skills as the top quality required in job applicants, followed by working experience (67%), interpersonal skills (56.2%) and passion and commitment (55.7%). MEF executive director Shamsuddin Bardan said globalisation had changed the nature of jobs, making communication skills, specifically in English, a valuable asset for today's worker. He added that this was an essential criterion even for professions traditionally seen as backroom staff such as engineers, technical personnel and scientists. It is especially so for those working in multinationals and bigger firms, he said. Today, our clients are worldwide. In factories, for instance, engineers are a different breed from the past, said Shamsuddin. Now, they have to be involved in various aspects of business and interact with clients. Shamsuddin expressed concern that many local graduates today could not speak or write proper English, saying this was a reason why they faced difficulties getting jobs in the private sector. Kelly Services (M) Sdn Bhd managing director Melissa Normanconcurred, noting that six in 10 graduates who attended its interviews could not communicate effectively in English. The company is one of the top headhunters in the country. Norman said it was important to master English as it was widely used among the business community, both in Malaysia and internationally. The Kelly Global Workforce Index survey released in 2010 listed communication skills as one of the top five most desired skills within the corporate sector. We have encountered local graduates who are weak in spoken and written English and have limited vocabulary, said Norman. These candidates can only manage to secure jobs in small-medium enterprises and small businesses. Various industry and business leaders also warned that the decline in English was affecting Malaysia's global competitiveness. Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers President Tan Sri Mustafa Mansur said the young ones who could not communicate in English were unable to negotiate the best deals in business transactions or investments.

We need to send people out to market our products, negotiate deals or get contracts signed. If they cannot communicate well in English, we will lose out, he said. Pemudah co-chair Tan Sri Yong Poh Kon pointed out that, contrary to popular belief, it was important for civil servants to have a good command of English due to a growing borderless world. The standard of English also affects the quality of the public sector as civil servants have to interact with international citizens and the business world as well as articulate Malaysia's stand on issues to the international community. These include negotiations on important agreements such as trade agreements. Noting that the quality of English in the country had declined over the last two decades, former Human Resource Minister Tan Sri Fong Chan Onn warned that the country would lose out to its neighbours that did not teach English in schools previously. Thailand, Indonesia and China are making efforts to improve their English through their education system, he noted.

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Don: English standard of undergrads still not up to par

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is on par with or ahead of some of the regional countries in terms of investment in education. However, the quality of its undergraduates command of English still remains an issue. Dr Marie Aimee Tourres, a senior research fellow at the Department of Development Studies, Universiti Malaya (UM), said it was crucial for graduates to have a good command of English to ensure they would be able to compete effectively in the global job market. Nevertheless, in terms of education spending, Malaysia is comparable to some countries in the region based on the percentage spent over its gross domestic product (GDP) growth, she said. She said Malaysia was actually spending more than other countries. In Budget 2012, RM13.6bil was allocated to the social sector, including education and training, health, welfare, housing and community development. Dr Tourres said there was also a lot of focus given to training and re-training of graduates, which was important to continuously upgrade skilled and knowledge workers in the country. However, the quality of undergraduates remains an issue. Language is definitely an issue, she said, citing a recent publication by the World Bank, The Road to Academic Excellence, which is a study on what contributes to a world-class research university. The study compared UM and the National University of Singapore (NUS) in a chapter titled The National University of Singapore and the University of Malaya: Common Roots and Different Paths. In the report, it was stated that as NUS kept pace with the demands of a growing economy that sought to become competitive internationally, with English continuing as the language of instruction and research, UM began to focus inward as proficiency in English declined in favour of the national language. This generation will have to face international standards and competition in terms of job market, as part of globalisation, said Dr Tourres. She cited Pakistan, where she gives lectures, as an example. In Pakistan, although the people speak different dialects next to the Urdu language, their English is better than our graduates, she noted. She said it made them more marketable in the global environment. Dr Tourres believed that even if Malaysia gave more focus to English, the national language and culture could still prosper, provided that teaching was made interesting. Bernama

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