The policy to change the medium of instruction in the teaching of mathematics and science from Bahasa Melayu to English is an important innovation affecting teachers of mathematics and science generally. It poses special challenges not only for teachers who have been trained in the Malay medium but also for those trained in English, whose professional experience has largely involved the use of Bahasa Melayu as the medium of instruction. In the immediate context, to derive maximum benefit from this innovation these teachers would need to develop their English language proficiency in order to access the wealth of information on the subject area currently available in English texts. Additionally, they would need to develop the practical competence to deliver their subject matter in the language.
