Securitization, Frankenstein's Monster and Malaysian education

Abstract

In 2002 the Malaysian government announced it would reintroduce English as a medium of instruction in all Malaysian primary schools. The reaction of the Tamil, Malay and Chinese educationalists was damning, with the latter referring to the decision as the 'final solution' for mandarin education in Malaysia's national education system. The furore created in 2002 led the Malaysian government to threaten Chinese educationalists with its draconian Internal Security Act (ISA); this was not an insignific threat, as the government had detained Chinese educationalists previously under the ISA in 1987. In this article I use the Copenhagen School's notions of societal security and securitization to reveal why the medium of instruction used in Chinese National-type primary schools is regarded as a matter of security by Chinese educationalists. I reveal that while the Chinese educationalists engage in securitization discourse, their aim is to keep the issue at the politicized end of the securitization spectrum. However, when this discourse coincides with the government feeling weak, the governing elite use the language to securitize the situation and crush their opponents -this reveals the appropriateness of Kyle Grayson's analogy between securitization and Frankenstein's Monster. The article therefore both operationalizes securitization and also reveals the perilous state of Mandarin education in Malaysia's national education system.

Drugs as an existential threat: An analysis of the international securitization of drugs

“…However 'Rainbow-2' can be seen as speaking to multiple audiences, ranging from the Russian general public to the political and military elites both nationally and internationally. Recent analysis of the securitization framework has focused on examining the relative power of the securitizing actor and the importance of the audience in accepting the securitization and thus making the move successful (Balzacq, 2005;Collins, 2005). Buzan et al argue that, "At the micro end of the spectrum, individuals or small groups can seldom establish a wider security legitimacy in their own right.…”

“…Areas of insecurity where drug production thrives can be seen as part of the 'Self'/'Other' dichotomy whereby because they exist outside of the international community, they are to some extent abandoned. Grayson (2003) and Collins (2005) have explored the idea that securitizing an issue can create 'Frankenstein's Monster' whereby giving resources, power and legitimacy to the securitization, releases it from the ordinary checks and balances of normal policy making. As Grayson notes, 'With all the diverse aspects of the 'War on Terror' and the 'War on Drugs' human rights abuses, human suffering and loss of life seem to be largely unproblematic for US policymakers as long as the USA, its interests and important segments of domestic population remain secure' (Grayson, 2003, p. 339).…”

Ethical Issues in the Malaysian Education System

“…This demonstrates that the vast majority of Chinese families favor National Type Schools. There is a strong belief among the Chinese parents and educations that in order for the Chinese culture to survive and flourish in Malaysia, these schools are essential because they transmit Chinese culture to the next generation (Chin, 2001;Collins, 2005).…”

“…Dong Jiao Zong (DJZ) is the Chinese acronym frequently used to refer jointly to the United Chinese School Committees' Association (Dong Zong) and the United Chinese School Teachers' Association (Jiao Zong). The DJZ is responsible for the administration and management of 1287 Chinese primary schools in Malaysia (Collins, 2005). The DJZ has been influential in raising Chinese communities' awareness of potential threats to freedom of school choice posed by the government's education policies.…”

The Queen’s speech: Desecuritizing the past, present and future of Anglo-Irish relations

“…The focus on translation also demonstrates some of the need for the Copenhagen School to focus on cultural considerations and contexts, especially if they wish to escape from their "Westphalian straight jacket" (Collins 2005;Greenwood andWaever, Vuori 2008, Wilkinson 2007;Williams 2007). Additionally, analysing translation reinforces the need to address difficult questions about speaker-audience relations.…”