I’ve made mistakes, says Maszlee Malik a year as education minister

Bede Hong Bede Hong Updated 6 years ago · Published on 7 Jun 2019 11:16PM · 16 Comments

Education Minister Maszlee Malik has encouraged alumni to play a greater role in their institutions. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, June 7, 2019.

MASZLEE Malik tonight admitted he has made “many mistakes” in his first year as education minister, during which calls have been made for him to resign, including from within Pakatan Harapan.

From matriculation intake quota to his comments last year requiring students to wear black shoes, the 44-year-old former International Islamic University Malaysia lecturer said he would not have pulled through without the support of ministry staff and teachers.

“I admit I have made many mistakes,” he told Bernama in a 60-minute interview tonight.

“I recognise my own weaknesses,” said the Simpang Renggam MP when asked what he has learnt since he was appointed on May 21 last year.

“It is challenging. It is fun also to explore new things. There is so much that I’ve learnt.

“Many challenges also, challenges that I could not have imagined. I thank the Almighty for presenting me all these lessons to learn from.

“It has taught me to look at things from all these perspectives. It has taught me to appreciate people more… people from the media, teachers, even school clerks.

“As a lecturer, my experience was limited to my own world. But I’ve come to learn that different people have much to contribute.”

In the interview that focused on education policies, Maszlee was asked about other plans for his ministry, including “cultural changes” in education.

Among them is a greater role of alumni in local institutions.

“We want people to see education as a joint responsibility. That’s why we changed the name from PIBG (Parents and Teachers Association) to PIBK (Penglibatan Ibu Bapa dan Komuniti or Parent and Community Involvement), to include the community.”

“The alumni culture is only strong among the elite and boarding schools. Why not schools in villages, in the Felda settlements and urban outskirts?”

Last month, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad defended Maszlee for linking the matriculation intake quota issue with that of language requirements for jobs.

Dr Mahathir also told reporters he has little issue with Maszlee and that the education minister should “stay on”, following questions on a possible cabinet reshuffle.

Maszlee last month defended the matriculation programme’s preference for Bumiputra students, saying it addresses a jobs market dominated by other ethnic groups.

Last December, Maszlee caught flak for saying religious teachers should make Sabah and Sarawak their “medan dakwah” (proselytisation field), resulting in several Pakatan Harapan leaders, including one Muslim youth leader from Sarawak DAP, calling for his resignation. – June 7, 2019.

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Comments

  • Please have some review on the quality of ustaz and ustazah from peninsula posting to Borneo. Some try to implement their ideology by force and sneering those incompliance unnecessarily

    Posted 6 years ago by Dayang Fazrina Abang Yasir · Reply

  • The problem with this guy is that he relied too much with his ministry staff formed by BN Government and that is where he failed miserably for not having his own BRAIN.

    Posted 6 years ago by Swaminaidu Venkatasamy · Reply

    • I agree with you

      Posted 6 years ago by Witzi Leong · Reply

    • an idiot mah .

      Posted 6 years ago by Astann astann · Reply

  • Please use some of your brain before you implement anything so as not to antagonise others.

    Posted 6 years ago by Adrian Tan · Reply

  • Learned many things? I don't think so. How does the matriculation quota address the job market dominated by certain ethnic group? Where is the proper study on this matter? Is the job market really dominated by certain race? How about the civil service and glcs being dominated by a certain race? Or did he just said what is inside him because deep inside is actually a racist?

    Posted 6 years ago by Yoon Fatt Ng · Reply

  • Then buck up la
    Getting sympathy from people ain't gonna change rakyats perspective

    Posted 6 years ago by Lan Lan · Reply

  • Being a lecturer does not make u smart. Just do us all a favour and quit

    Posted 6 years ago by Kenneth Tan · Reply

  • Then please reform our education with a broader perspective, and more importantly use your head to think as a Malaysian and that the benefits of education is for all, and more so for the B40 group, and not for a certain race or religion.

    Posted 6 years ago by Rupert Lum · Reply

  • Apa malu, Dr? Resign la. You are playing with the countrys future.

    Posted 6 years ago by Mat Kilau · Reply

  • Dumb n Deaf minister pls step down you are getting feedback from UMNO BN Appointed Deaf n Dumb teachers and working on it. PLS STOP MAKING EDUCATION A TESTING GROUND IT NEEDS REFORMS VERY VERY BADLY. Mazlee is Racists he is NOT SUITABLE for Education post get someone who is Above Race n Religion to Save the Education System. ALL MALAYSIAN KIDS NEED EDUCATION.

    Posted 6 years ago by Mindy Singh · Reply

  • celaka useless person .

    Posted 6 years ago by Astann astann · Reply

  • The future of our youth is being wrecked by a useless, clueless and stubborn minister.

    Posted 6 years ago by Concerned Citizen · Reply

  • While I respect your admission of faults, I'm sorry but we cannot entrust the future of the next generation on an experiment while you continue to dismantle unity and reinforce communalism or racism amongst Malaysians. The honourable thing to do, would be to step down and allow someone who is more Malaysian at heart to take over while you retreat into the corners to lick your wounds.

    Posted 6 years ago by Alex Lim · Reply

  • No point trying to defend yourself. We all know that the power and salary that comes with the post is too irresistible for you to ignore and be sincere enough to resign. Tun M also will not sack you as that will look bad on the party. He wants you to resign on your own just like Osman Sapian, but of course you will not do it. You just don't have what it takes to be a minister. We give you until the next GE and you will still not be able to deliver. Unfortunately by then, the education system will be even worse off. We really dread the fact that our younger generation is not getting the best education that they should be getting.

    Posted 6 years ago by T E · Reply

  • you have 1 more yr to explore. happy exploring and am sure you will enjoy it. thank you

    Posted 6 years ago by . . · Reply