EDUCATION Minister Dr Maszlee Malik said historians should decide on the contents of Malaysian history textbooks, which were allegedly used by the previous government to spread propaganda.

He said any attempt by the Pakatan Harapan government to rewrite the textbooks should include the views of historians.

“I cannot give a decision on the spot because we need to discuss it with the departments involved, and my approach is more consultative. We need to get history experts involved,” he said at the ministry today.

“So, after we have met with them, and they have conducted studies, only then can I make a statement regarding this matter.”

He was commenting on calls by an activist at the recent Should We Rewrite Our History Book? forum for the PH government to include in the textbooks the contributions of left-wing politicians and activists to the country’s efforts to gain independence.

It was reported that Fadiah Nadwa Fikri said information on the Communist Party of Malaya must be corrected to provide students with a balanced view.

She said currently, the textbooks only state the contributions of one party, when in fact, many parties were involved in the fight for independence.

Another panellist at the forum, activist Fahmi Reza, said the textbooks should be reviewed as they were used as a propaganda tool by Barisan Nasional. – July 30, 2018.