Dr Mahathir has no issues with Maszlee as education minister 


Noel Achariam

Dr Mahathir Mohamad says Maszlee Malik just 'spoke a little bit about another race'. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Kamal Ariffin, May 28, 2019.

PRIME Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said he does not have any issues with Education Minister Maszlee Malik.

“I don’t see any problem with him. He only asked to change to black shoes (for school pupils). The rest all is okay with him,” he said after chairing the Bersatu council meeting at its Petaling Jaya headquarters today.

Last year, Maszlee came under fire for changing the colour of schools shoes from white to black. 

However, his plans to change the colour of shcool shoes to black were met with resistance from the parent-teacher associations, pupils and school shoe suppliers.

Instead, black school shoes will be mandatory in 2021 but pupils can start using them from this year.

Maszlee has also come under fire for equating the Bumiputera matriculation quota to some companies requiring jobseekers to be proficient in Mandarin.

Dr Mahathir said just because he spoke a bit about another race doesn’t mean that he is racist.

“In our party we also talk a lot about races. He was talking about his race. Just like how the Chinese talk about the Chinese, the Malays with the Malays and the Ibans with the Ibans.

“We cannot question the nationality because we are all Malaysians.”

Mazlee’s remarks on the Bumiputera matriculation quota have reignited public debate on race and education opportunities.

But Dr Mahathir said it is crucial for the Pakatan Harapan government to win the support of Bumiputeras.

“It is now important to get their support because Umno and PAS have teamed up and are using race and religion to gain support.

“If we don’t explain our stand on racial issues, then we will lose in the next general election.”  – May 28, 2019.


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Comments


  • Sorry sir, I completely disagree. This is my turning point. I will now have an open mind and will not support PH..

    Posted 7 years ago by Kampung Boy · Reply

  • Dear Tun. It is not about you. It is about the people that put you where you are. Don't think about what you think. Think about the people interest.

    Posted 7 years ago by It's me GR · Reply

  • When we have the NEP in the past, the Malay failed to progress. This is very much because of wrong policies and mismanagement in implementation. Matriculation is just one wrong policy whereby the students are confined again to the slow learning group, an bad apple in a basket can make the good ones rot, what more about the whole basket of bad apples?

    Posted 7 years ago by Tanahair Ku · Reply