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English or Malay? This ‘battle of the languages’ with regard to Malaysia’s education system has been going on for decades with no end in sight.With English being hailed as the language of both science and mathematics, it would seem that the victor of the battle would be a no-brainer, at least when it comes to these subjects. But this has not been the case. In 1993, a suggestion on teaching Science and Mathematics in English surfaced brie y, only to be stomped into oblivion. Ten years later, the Policy of Teaching Science and Mathematics in English (PPSMI) o cially debuted, albeit haphazardly. This resulted in protests from the students which, in turn, resulted in the reversal of the policy in 2012. Just a few years down the road, science and mathematics would once again be taught in Malay.This debate continues presently, with the then-government hinting at bringing back the PPSMI earlier this year. Ironically, English featured dominantly during the colonial era, when the British introduced the English school system to what was then known as Malaya. However, through the years, our command of English has been on a steep decline; and therein lies the real issue. While a strong command of our national language may foster national pride and unity, we now have several generations of Malaysians who are unable to understand and/or communicate in proper English. This does not bode well for the country and our future, especially in this internationalised climate where global competitiveness is essential for one to thrive. As the battle rages on, the victims of the battle are, inadvertently, our children and their future.