R&D: Linguistics just as important as science

I AGREE with the views expressed by Mohd Azizuddin Mohd Sani in his letter "Social sciences vital, too" (NST, Feb 28). 

 

As argued by Azizuddin, we cannot afford to sideline research and development (R&D) in social sciences and humanities.

As a linguist, I believe that R&D should also include linguistic studies in Malaysia, pertaining to the national language, vernacular languages and the ethnic languages of Sabah and Sarawak. Some of these ethnic languages are on the verge of extinction.

I had written about this before in my letter "Work on stopping language death" (NST, Nov 11, 2008).

Academics at the tertiary level lament that more students are shying away from linguistic studies as they foresee no prospects in it.

This is probably due to the trend of overemphasising science and technology in education.

I hope more and more R&D grants will be provided to the social sciences and humanities, including linguistic studies on the languages spoken in the country.

It will be a novel idea to allow each university to focus on selected areas of research as advocated by Azizuddin. Let R&D in Malaysia include all fields of knowledge, not only science and technology.

Parenting

Father’s do have a role in parenting

It is true that today many of the parenting tasks are shouldered by mothers, while the fathers play a minimal role in parenting, probably due to work and career commitments.

By the way, the word parents mean a father and mother. Therefore, the responsibility of raising children is the father’s and mother’s duty. Basically, many fathers feel that their responsibility is to earn enough and provide financial needs of the family, including children. I believe this is a wrong perception. 

In many homes, fathers are only seen as a disciplinarian. When it needs to reprimand or discipline the child, then the father comes in. We should remember that a father and a mother are equal partners in parenting. I am sure fathers can play more roles.

In parenting, we notice that many parents have compartmentalized their duties. For example, feeding and washing the child is the mother’s department, while jobs like disciplining a child is the job of a father. In parenting, tasks should not be compartmentalized. Both the parents need to execute any tasks, irrespective of the gender.  

A father does play a crucial role in the wholesome development of a child. Many studies show that when the father plays his role significantly, the child will feel more secure and become more disciplined.  

The father as the head of a family can be a good role model to his children. A father can assist the children’s schoolwork and lend a hand in their homework. They can be also a play-mate for the children, especially when they are young. Children need the father’s shoulders for support, consolation, and to boost their morale at times of trials and difficulties of a child.  

It is said that true parenthood consists of watching over, protecting and training a child. These three tasks can be equally played effectively by the father besides the mother.  

The father does not only provide emotional support to the kids but also to the wife. He should always be behind the wife giving her the necessary moral support and encouragement in raising children. When a father becomes more involved in caring for the child, he definitely contributes to the child’s developing capabilities. 

Parenting is a life-long task and God-given responsibility that rests upon the shoulders of both the father and mother.

Women

I am what I am because of you

Women are just like one of the wings of a bird, that together with their other half, soar towards success and prosperity in the world.

Not until our women have achieved equal success in the world of men, can we say equality between men and women has been achieved.

Among outstanding women are Anita Sarawak, Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir, Datuk Nicole David, Teresa Kok, Wan Zaleha Radzi, and the late Yasmin Ahmad.

Truly, women like them play a very significant role alongside men to make our nation proud.

We marvel at their contributions in various walks of life – broadcasting, entertainment, law, politics, science and technology, and sports.

Besides, we have many outstanding women academicians in our nation: Prof Emeritus Datuk Dr Nik Safiah Karim, Prof Tan Sri Sharifah Habsah Syed Hasan Shahabudin, and many more.

Allow me to wax lyrical on my admiration for Dr Nik Safiah, my mentor at Universiti Malaya.

A Malay language expert, she wrote more than 30 books and hundreds of research papers and articles throughout her academic career.

Though retired many years ago, she is still engaged as a Guest Researcher at the Malay Academy Studies, Universiti Malaya.

An excellent academician, she had nurtured many good students.

She was a friendly, down to earth, humble lecturer who motivated her students to achieve excellence in studies and in life.

Dr Nik Safiah is passionate about championing women’s developments and rights and is actively engaged in the National Council of Women’s Organisations, Majlis Perunding Wanita Islam Malaysia, and the Women’s Graduate Council.

As we commemorate the 100th Year of International Women’s Day, I take this opportunity to pay tribute to Dr Nik Safiah and all other women who have been instrumental in my success in life.

I am what I am today because of all of you. Thank you, all of you.

Education

Currently, there is a common trend among parents that one of their children should become a medical doctor at any cost. For some parents, it is a matter of prestige and honour. But, are their children inclined towards this noble career? Doctors are special human beings, composed of passion for service to humanity. Are our present doctors portraying such novel qualities? To be a doctor, it needs full commitment to the career and service, not merely on monetary gains.

I remember a friend of mine, a long-time physician who has such excellent work ethics that he treats all his patients as own family members. He even goes night rounds at midnight to visit his patients although his duty as physician ends at 5.00pm. He says he needs to monitor their progress. His patients always remember him. The personal touch with his patients makes him a well-loved doctor. Do our young doctors have such noble values? Today, most of our current doctors are working according to time. It is only office-hours. Even our private practitioners, engage locum doctors to treat patients in the evenings. They don’t go back to the clinic in the evenings.

It is reported that we have 28 universities offering medical courses in the country now, including the public and private universities. Surely, the number is too large for a small nation of ours. Besides, we have tens of students graduating as medical doctors from foreign universities from all over the world to serve in our country. I believe there will glut of doctors in the new future. The quality of these doctors are always questionable. We have heard stories on how doctors examine their patients with pencils and pens. They dare not touch their patients and practice a lot of restrain from the physical touch. I believe physical touch of doctors on patients is also very soothing act and another form of cure, perhaps psychologically.

Please, we do not want to produce doctors who are not fully committed to the career. There must be passion for service and if it is missing, the aspiring doctors and parents who want their child to be doctor should ponder over it seriously.

Parenting

Role of parents in Parenting 

In parenting, both the mother and father play a crucial role in moulding a child into a responsible and good citizen of the country. 

We all agree that the mothers play a significant role in raising a child, for. For mothers are the first educators, the first mentors; and truly it is the mothers who determine the happiness, the future greatness of a child. 

Many proverbs give imminence to the mother. Once such Tamil saying, matha, pitha, guru, deviam which means mother, father, and teacher are God respectively. 

In parenting, the element of discipline is crucial. But, discipline does not denote strict observance of rules and regulations or harsh and authoritarian ways of parenting. I believe parents should adhere to the principle of reward and punishment in raising a child. This twin pillars are the sources of life to the world. It is a golden rule as the world itself evolves along this principle. 

Therefore, whenever a mother sees her child has done well, let the mother praise and applaud the child and cheer his heart. 

But, if a slightest undesirable trait should manifest in the child, let the mother counsel him first and then punish him, even with a slight verbal chastisement should it be necessary. However, it is not permissible to strike a child or vilify him, for the child’s character will be totally perverted if he be subjected to blows or verbal abuse. Use of harsh words and abusive language injure their young hearts. 

So, let us as parents, in particular the mothers, counsel our children over a long period and guide them unto things which lead to everlasting honour. This is perhaps the key for successful parenting.