ABSTRACT
In Malaysia, the medium of instruction has always been a controversial matter of reversal and re-reversal both in schools and institutions of higher learning. The shift from English as the medium of instruction (EMI) to Bahasa Melayu and other languages was first proposed by the 1956 National Education Committee, which laid out a strategic plan known as the Razak Report. This lack of clarity led Ali to conduct a case study of EMI at public university; this considered the issue from three perspectives: those of the Ministry of Higher Education, the specific institution, and the staff involved in delivering the programmes. The emphasis was on Malaysia developing a world class education and becoming a centre of excellence. In 2002, English was re-introduced as the medium of instruction for maths and science in primary and secondary schools. Students need to be sensitised to, and trained for, a more participatory role for themselves as learners in an EMI or bilingual academic environment.
