You are beating around the bush and going nowhere. As long there are quality programmes, be them in Korean, Irish, Cantonese, Mandarin, etc, Astro should show them in their respective original languages and with dual languages/subtitles to enables other audiences to enjoy those programmes.

Quality programmes do not restrict to any languages.

This post has been edited by pokemon: Jan 23 2011, 09:08 AM

Now we are getting somewhere.

I am glad that you use the term "respective original languages". As I said before, some of the movies I have seen in Malaysian cinema were in Mandarin. Yet when they are later shown on Astro, they are in Cantonese. In other word, Astro ISN'T showing the program in their respective original languages as far as Malaysia is concern. That's one of my main point.

My other point is, if we need to promote or learn a Chinese language, we should pick Mandarin because that is the de facto language of all Chinese worldwide. Mandarin's usefulness in the global arena simply outshine Cantonese.


This post has been edited by Optiplex330: Jan 23 2011, 09:33 AM

It depends which channels the so called mandarin movies are shown. If they are showing in a cantonese channel, then Astro may dub it to cantonese. The better option is showing in original language with dub if showing in other language channels. Say, even when AXN (english language channel) was showing chinese movies, they have dual languages, ie., english dubbed and chinese original.

I don't know which channel because I seldom watch them. All I know was, the few time that I did saw them, those program I have earlier seen in cinema were in Mandarin but now it is in Cantonese on Astro on a later date.

Not sure whether you have a chance to watch those Free to Air satellite program from China or not. There are hundreds of them and I would say 95% of them are in Mandarin with some smaller number in Sichuan or something. Now if the Chinese are doing it, why not Astro and then everybody can be happy. And surely the Cantonese in Klang valley can understand Mandarin, if not, then it is a good time for them to learn. And don't forget, we are not in Hong Kong whereby everybody spoke Cantonese. Here we have Hakka, Teochew, Hokkian, Foochow etc who reside outside of Klang valley and many do not understand Cantonese.

Mandarin is the dialect of Northern China !

We are all southern chinese and Mandarin is NOT our mother tongue. Mandarin is used to communicate with different dialects in China because they don't know English. Not every Malaysian know Mandarin !

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaysian_Chinese

We don't want to be like Singapore where they have lost their ability to speak their mother tongue.

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Added on January 23, 2011, 9:54 amI think all these young Mandarin educated don't mix around a lot (other than their parents and their close friends).

Not ALL malaysians know how to speak or read Mandarin.

The older English educated Malaysian chinese only know the popular dialects such as Cantonese or Hokkien.

This post has been edited by jalsrix: Jan 23 2011, 09:54 AM

The shows should be shown in the original language whether it is cantonese or hokkien or mandarin.

Those dubbed language where the actor /actress is not the original voice is very FAKE ! I have seen it in Singapore and the acting voice is poor and not the original actor voice.

If you don't like to watch cantonese shows, just switch to Mandarin shows. Nobody forces you to watch.

Malaysia has cantonese (ch 304), hokkien (ch 333), mandarin (ch 301) so you have the choice. We need another channel to cater to the Hakka.

Are you saying all Malaysian Chinese know Cantonese?

let's not argue with him. if he knows only mandarin, then let him speak mandarin only.

Malaysian chinese (eg. gary chow can speak both cantonese and mandarin) are well known in the chinese circle for the ability to speak multiple chinese dialects unlike singapore where they only speak mandarin.

Singapore loses to malaysian chinese.



This post has been edited by jalsrix: Jan 23 2011, 10:16 AM

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Added on January 23, 2011, 10:15 amNot every Malaysian chinese know cantonese or hokkien or mandarin.

Read here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaysian_Chinese#Languages

So if you know only mandarin just watch the mandarin channels.

If you don't know hokkien, don't watch ch 333 etc, as simple as that.

This post has been edited by jalsrix: Jan 23 2011, 10:17 AM

If the original movies was shown in Mandarin (in Malaysian cinema), why must non-Cantonese now watches it in Cantonese instead when many don't even understand Cantonese? Why can't Astro show it in it's original form?

I think all movies should be shown in the original language and NOT dubbed. The dubbed voice is awful.

If people don't understand, then show the chinese subtitles which is universal. Make all subtitles closed caption !

This I agree ! All original language shouldn't be dubbed.

Even singapore now is showing hokkien shows in starhub and not dubbed in mandarin.

While mandarin is important, but it is equally important to preserve our own mother tongue. Mandarin is NOT the mother tongue of any malaysians.

Eg. if you want to learn English, does that mean you shouldn't learn chinese because English is more important than Chinese ?

Of course Mandarin is not the mother tongue of the Malays and Indians. LOL. We are talking about Malaysian Chinese be it Cantonese or Hakka or Hokkien or Teochew etc. And the one common denominator of these various Chinese clans is Mandarin, not Cantonese. But the way Astro goes about doing it is treating Cantonese as the mother tongue of all Malaysian Chinese.

While mother tongue is important, one must also be pragmatic and face reality.

The reality is this:
1. Malaysia is a trading nation.

2. To trade, you must be good at the de facto language of commerce like English.

3. China is becoming a economic powerhouse that no trading nation can afford to ignore. Ignore her and we perish as a trading nation and we will ended up as a basket case nation. To trade with her, we must know Mandarin.

4. One of the best way to learn Mandarin is to be exposed to Mandarin and that is where television comes in. But sadly, we are doing the exact opposite, we change the original language in movies from Mandarin to Cantonese. Does not need to take a rocket scientist to know if we do not change course, we will soon be comparing ourselves with Myanmar. In the 70's, we were on equal level as the Korean/Hong Kong/Taiwanese/Singaporean etc but see what happened?

Now you may say Singapore is doing the wrong thing. But in the big picture of commerce, she is doing the right thing. Go check out her per capita income and ours.

On second thought. May be we can't blame Astro because our RTM had been dubbing Mandarin movies into Cantonese for years before the coming of Astro. Astro is merely taking her cue from RTM.

This post has been edited by Optiplex330: Jan 23 2011, 10:56 AM

I wish that MPEG4 channel was on B.yond instead...

There is no problem for malaysians who go to china, hk or taiwan. Is there ?

just look at gary chow, ah niu, wu qi xian etc. they can speak multiple chinese dialects unlike singaporeans (AND YOU )

Have you been to china ? You will be shocked to know that many southern chinese DON'T know mandarin !

If you go to fujian or taiwan province to do business, do you think that mandarin or hokkien is more important ?

The same goes to gwangdong or HK, they will prefer to speak cantonese rather than mandarin because it is their mother tongue.

They would rather do business with people who speak their own mother tongue rather than mandarin which is not their mother tongue.

Don't get brainwash by those chinese medium teachers who has NO practical experience outside of their schools.

You are using lousy example. Those gary chow and ah niu go to China for holiday and the closest business they do in China is buy Jade or tea. If they have been dealing with Chinese government official or doing big business then they will know the importance of Mandarin.

And I didn't know Southern Chinese don't know Mandarin? So they spoke Italian or Portuguese instead?

As for Fujian or Taiwan. Are you sure Mandarin can't be used? If they don't know Mandarin, then they are probably the Malaysian version of Gary Chow or ah niu. Not much business potential with these people.

Oh yes, I don't speak multiple Chinese dialects like yourself. I can only manage 2 well and another 2 barely passable. My Mandarin is good enough for coffee shop talk and please, don't ask me to write because I can't. Having said that, I do believe knowing Mandarin is more important than knowing dialect and thus television should do their part in promoting Mandarin. And also be fair to the Hakka and Teochew etc who don't know Cantonese.

As for brainwashing. Have you been outside school and more importantly, outside Malaysia? You should look at issue globally instead of just under a coconut shell thinking Cantonese is more useful and important than Mandarin. For the record, globally speaking, Mandarin is.

This post has been edited by Optiplex330: Jan 23 2011, 11:11 AM

Buy an air ticket and go to China yourself. You are just like a 'frog under the well' brainwashed by those mandarin teachers.

Southern chinese speak their own mother tongue, the younger generation know mandarin but not the older generation. The older generation study their chinese books in cantonese, hakka or hokkien. Those chinese characters are NOT mandarin but chinese and can be read in any chinese languages.

Furthermore, the richest provinces in greater china is Gwangdong, HK (and Taiwan). Even the northerners migrate to gwangdong,HK to look for work.

You think that just because you speak Mandarin, you are very great and people will want to do business with you ?

There are tons of people who speak Mandarin in taiwan, but if you are able to ALSO speak hokkien, you will get the business (versus somebody speaking mandarin ONLY) as hokkien is closer to them. Same goes to gwangdong and HK.

Mandarin is a Manchurian influence language, the southern chinese languages are the true chinese languages.

Look, you still want to be stubborn and forget your mother tongue, so be it. But don't force other people not to learn their mother tongue.

This post has been edited by jalsrix: Jan 23 2011, 11:14 AM

That's funny. Every time I went to China, I have always spoken Mandarin from the airport custom to hotel reception desk to sightseeing to buying stuff from trader. We must have been to different places then.

But I guess you are right. Gwangdong is the center of China so Chinese program must all be in Cantonese because Cantonese is No.1 . I hope Obama can speaks Cantonese to President Hu Jintao instead of Mandarin

This post has been edited by Optiplex330: Jan 23 2011, 11:32 AM

Sorry 3rd Feruary 2011.

Datuk LCW on HD today @ 2PM via 831....