EDUCATION Minister Maszlee Malik has announced his resignation, effective tomorrow, citing three of his decisions which are perceived to have plunged the Pakatan Harapan government into crisis.
The three decisions he named were for the teaching of Jawi in the vernacular schools, providing the schools with internet access, and the free breakfast programme in school.
“I have been seen as creating many crises for the leadership, especially the issues relating to the teaching of Jawi, internet for schools and the free breakfast programme for schools,” he said, reading from a statement today.
The 45-year-old said he had met with the Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad earlier today to convey his decision. Dr Mahathir is the Bersatu chairman and his party chief.
The former academic at International Islamic University Malayia (UIAM) thanked Dr Mahathir for the opportunity to serve the cabinet for 20 months.
“This has been the best present to me as an educationist and academic activist. I reiterate my undivided support and loyalty to him and our party, Bersatu,” he said
The Simpang Renggam MP said he was confident the Education Ministry would move forward without difficulty as he had laid down the foundation and charted its future direction, summed up in the tagline, Education for All.
“I believe my decision is not the end but a new beginning. Believe me, the work to reform the country will not succeed without taking into account the welfare of the people,” he said. – January 2, 2020.
Maszlee’s proposal to teach Jawi in the vernacular schools this year has sat badly with the Chinese and Tamil education groups. Their opposition to the idea has elicited a hostile reaction from Malay pressure groups, who view the rejection of the Arabic script as an affront to Malay culture and history.
This has resulted in calls from the latter group for the vernacular schools to be shut down, while the Chinese educationists leading the charge against Jawi in the national-type schools, have become the target of hate groups and threats.
The minister’s free school breakfast programme, meanwhile is expected to cost the government between RM800 million and RM1.67 billion, it was announced in October last year.
The conditions for eligibility remains unclear, but Maszlee has said that the programme, aside from providing the schoolchildren with a nutritious breakfast to students, was a chance for the teachers and their young charges to bond over a meal.
The proposal to give schools access to the internet has also been mired in controversy, as the putative contractor to take the schools online, YTL Communications, has accused the government of breaching its contract.
YTL alleges that the Education Ministry has reneged on a promise to call for an open tender, and that the ministry had awarded the interim services contract to rival companies after YTL had invested more than RM4 billion in building up the infrastructure in schools.
Maszlee today declined to answer the media pressing for the “main reason” for his resignation.
“I have a strong belief in Dr Mahathir. He has a strong insightful view to lead the country and I have undeniable loyalty to him, the party and the country.
“Whatever advice he gave me was in the country’s best interests. I will always be here to serve the country in whatever position,” Maszlee replied.
Maszlee was appointed education minister by Dr Mahathir after the general election in 2018.
A Bersatu Supreme Council member, Johor-born Mazslee is of Hakka Chinese and Malay descent.
In the last election, he defeated incumbent Liang Teck Meng of Gerakan and Mohd Jubri Selamat of PAS to win the Simpang Renggam seat.
Maszlee obtained his bachelor’s and master degrees in Islamic jurisprudence from the University of Al-Bayt, Jordan.
He completed his doctorate in political science at Durham University in the United Kingdom. – January 2, 2020.
Comments
Posted 4 years ago by Astann astann · Reply
Posted 4 years ago by A Subscriber · Reply
Posted 4 years ago by Mat Kilau · Reply
Posted 4 years ago by Dayang Fazrina Abang Yasir · Reply
Posted 4 years ago by Kinetica Cho · Reply
Posted 4 years ago by Kinetica Cho · Reply
Posted 4 years ago by Swaminaidu Venkatasamy · Reply
Posted 4 years ago by James Wong · Reply
Posted 4 years ago by Rupert Lum · Reply
Posted 4 years ago by Mindy Singh · Reply
Posted 4 years ago by Tanahair Ku · Reply
Posted 4 years ago by Michael Raj · Reply
Posted 4 years ago by Sidney Karan · Reply
Posted 4 years ago by Elyse Gim · Reply
Posted 4 years ago by Charis W · Reply
Posted 4 years ago by Partick Ignatious · Reply
Posted 4 years ago by Alex Lim · Reply
Posted 4 years ago by Anak Kampung · Reply
Posted 4 years ago by Partick Ignatious · Reply
Posted 4 years ago by Sunita petrus · Reply