Penny-wise minister foolishly pounds promises

Jahabar Sadiq Jahabar Sadiq Updated 7 years ago · Published on 7 Sep 2018 5:00PM · 11 Comments

Education Minister Maszlee Malik must realise that he cannot be both minister and IIUM president as this presents a clear conflict of interest. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, September 7, 2018.

THE road to hell is paved with good intentions, or so people say.

So the question for Education Minister Maszlee Malik is simple, if he wants to save public funds by being International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) president for free, why doesn’t he do it for all public universities?

Otherwise, he is just talking nonsense. The other reason that he was named to the post by the university’s constitutional head, the sultan of Pahang, is also nonsense. He can refuse it.

But if Maszlee insists on keeping the post, then he is no different from the butt of Defence Minister Mohamad Sabu’s joke in the GE14 campaign that Najib Razak the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) advisory chairman asking Finance Minister Najib Razak for funds with approval from Prime Minister Najib Razak.

So can you imagine Maszlee Malik the IIUM president asking Education Minister Maszlee Malik for anything and getting it? What about the other universities, setting aside the funds saved from making him the head of all universities.

As Mohamad said it then, “If this is how the government works, then no mountain of gold or diamonds will be enough for expenditure.” And that is the reason the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government won, making promises it won’t be like the Barisan Nasional (BN) government.

See, these shenanigans over the IIUM post reflect many things about Malaysia and the steady decline of integrity over the years. Even before 1MDB, there have been scandals from Maminco to Perwaja to the privatisation-then-nationalisation of Malaysia Airlines.

One would think that a fresh face like Maszlee would know what he is doing by taking up the IIUM post. That it is impossible to wear two hats at once, and if he doesn’t think so, look at Najib Razak today.

It was not only the 1MDB and government roles that tripped him, but Najib was also the Selangor BN director in the 2013 general elections when he was also the national BN chairman.

Was he able to reproach himself for not retaking Selangor in that elections? Did he also take responsibility for losing the popular vote in 2013, apart from getting fewer federal seats?

So what would Maszlee do for IIUM now that he can’t do as minister? What about the other aspects of education from primary to secondary and tertiary education? This is no easy ministry and any policy will take time to fruit.

It is easy to say taking the job will save public funds but that is being penny-wise and pound foolish. A man working for free will not have the same responsibility as a man working for money.

Pay the IIUM president and any other academic their worth and make them accountable for the job. Otherwise, we are just looking at another 1MDB in the making with this IIUM appointment.

One would think that academics are smart as their job is to educate students and Maszlee comes across as one of the smarter ones in the system. But this IIUM episode so early in Maszlee’s political career shows that those in the system need a higher standard of intelligence and integrity.

And definitely more common sense. – September 7, 2018.

* Jahabar Sadiq runs The Malaysian Insight.

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Comments

  • The worst minister, along with LGE.

    Posted 7 years ago by Chean Ang Heng · Reply

  • To put him as the education minister was a wrong move.

    Posted 7 years ago by Rance ramasamy · Reply

  • Hear! Hear! Spot on!!

    Posted 7 years ago by Sookyee Ho · Reply

  • The Road to Perdition is full of Theologists.

    Posted 7 years ago by [email protected] · Reply

  • His level of intelligence was first made public when he said he had directed that school children switch to black shoes beginning 2019 as parents had allegedly asked for this when there was hardly a trace of any such request.

    Posted 7 years ago by The Rover · Reply

    • That's the beginning of his unpopularity as education minister.

      Posted 7 years ago by Leslie Low · Reply

  • a very stupid and memalukan move

    Posted 7 years ago by Chang kai chong · Reply

  • PH BN adik abang pisah tiada

    Posted 7 years ago by Chee Chung Lam · Reply

  • Shame on Mazlee for allowing this silly issue to drag on. Resign as president of the university or resign as Minister. I would rather he resign as Minister. Doing a bloody bad job so far

    Posted 7 years ago by Mike Mok · Reply

  • Masleazy thinks too highly of himself - he planned to play politician and president "long enough" to see his divine assignment to the moon, and then shut the door to all other politician forever, and he expects the rakyat to trust him on this when other more fundamental Harapan manifestos such as "UEC recognition" are stymied by ludicrous reasons. How can this inherent conflict of interest in his two roles help make IIUM credible let alone become an Ox of the muslim world?

    Posted 7 years ago by Roger 5201 · Reply

  • Maszlee should not use Sultan's appointment as an excuse particularly when one of our Sultan is even alleged to have received some RM2m from Najib for reasons best known to the giver. Indeed, his presidency at IIUM is a blatant conflict of interest but what is more shocking is the manner in which he brushed off the students who tried to have a decent discussion with him. As the education minister, the least he could have done is to listen respectfully to the concerns of these students many of whom will be the voters in the next election. Maszlee is a disgrace to his ministry his bias as well as his lack of principle is just unacceptable.

    Posted 7 years ago by Roger 5201 · Reply