In his speech at a Sultan Abdul Hamid Old Collegians Association dinner, Mahathir said students nowadays were not conversant enough in subjects useful for them to get jobs.

“They are all learning about religion and not learning anything else.

“They make good ulama. When you have too many ulama, they differ from each other and mislead their followers and quarrel with each other.”

Mahathir said this was a problem the government was seeking to adress through a change in curriculum.

“We will still study religion but not during all the periods in a day; maybe just one or two periods.”

Mahathir said for Malaysia to progress, the people must master other subjects and be well educated, not just in “doa” (prayers).

“If not we will become backward.”

English as language of knowledge

Mahathir also touched on the importance of English as the language of knowledge.

“English is not just for English people. English is a universal language.

“Yes, the Japanese and Chinese use their own languages but if you ask them if they use their own language totally, their answer is that when studying Science and Mathematics, you must use English.”

Mahathir said Malaysians were once known for their mastery of English and this was out of sheer necessity due to its usefulness.

“It’s not that we are less Malay or Malaysian when we insist on mastering English.

“If we are truly good Malaysians, we will want to impress people with our mastery of English.”

He called on the “old boys” of Sultan Abdul Hamid College to propagate the idea that mastering English would not make one an English man.

“This country is going through a critical phase in its development. We need people to be educated and be able to handle things, to interact with other people and speak up for the country.”

Mahathir studied at Sultan Abdul Hamid College from 1932 to 1941. His studies were interrupted when the Japanese invaded Malaya during World War 2.

After the Japanese left, he resumed his studies in 1945 for another year.