Maszlee quits, says his decisions blamed for putting govt in crisis

Alfian Z.M. Tahir Alfian Z.M. Tahir Updated 4 years ago · Published on 2 Jan 2020 4:42PM · 20 Comments

Education Minister Maszlee Malik bids farewell to his portfolio, following a series of controversial decisions, including the teaching of Jawi in the vernacular schools. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Kamal Ariffin, January 2, 2020.

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.

Education Minister Maszlee Malik says he has conveyed his decision to quit to the prime minister, who is set to announce his replacement soon. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Kamal Ariffin, 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.

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Comments

  • not to forget...... kasut hitam . hehehe .

    Posted 4 years ago by Astann astann · Reply

  • Lol, even in resignation, refuse to face the truth about why he's so hated, citing the one obvious reason why glossing other to other inconsequential ones, ignoring the crusades he went on.

    Posted 4 years ago by A Subscriber · Reply

    • Yes...fully agreed. More of his own incapability and lack of leadership. Good riddance for the countrys sake.

      Posted 4 years ago by Mat Kilau · Reply

  • Everybody wants to become pilot when they are just passengers

    Posted 4 years ago by Dayang Fazrina Abang Yasir · Reply

    • What do you mean

      Posted 4 years ago by Kinetica Cho · Reply

    • What do you mean

      Posted 4 years ago by Kinetica Cho · Reply

  • May GOD bless the students hereinafter! What about reshuffling the ministry of others who might had hand in this minister's failures. Should get them out too. They are the ones for his downfall.

    Posted 4 years ago by Swaminaidu Venkatasamy · Reply

  • One more, changing the color if school shoes from white to black. Really a black day.

    Posted 4 years ago by James Wong · Reply

  • What foundation? Its all rubbish in his two plus years as the Education Minister.

    Posted 4 years ago by Rupert Lum · Reply

  • Thanks to CREATOR ALMIGHTY the black shoe kangkung minister GOES. Non Muslim school going children can be TREATED WELL IN SCHOOL 1} no more eating in toilets 2} cup n plates become common 3 } No FORCING (PAKSA) our non muslim school children to learn jawi . Maslee is TOTAL FAILURE for SCHOOLS N UNIVERSITIES . ALL TEACHING HATRED NO KNOWLEDGE N WISDOM AT ALL . Black Shoe minister GET LOST.

    Posted 4 years ago by Mindy Singh · Reply

  • No need to take care of our welfare, just provide us the necessary social framework and the freedom to choose what best suit us, we will take care of ourselves.

    Posted 4 years ago by Tanahair Ku · Reply

  • Its not Jawi. Your failure is to deliver the quality of education that parents have been demanding for decades. Instead of pushing out a quality syllabus with higher standard of teaching you embarked on changing the colour of shoes, Jawi, swimming lessons in hotelsetc. Your failure is failure to bring reform - it was such an easy thing as PAGE and so many parents groups would have helped u but u too arrogant to ask them for assistance.

    Posted 4 years ago by Michael Raj · Reply

  • Put a guy who is very well versed in Islamic Juruprudence, as a Minister of Education of Secular Malaysia, will go down as one of the biggest failure of DrM.

    Posted 4 years ago by Sidney Karan · Reply

    • Totally agree.

      Posted 4 years ago by Elyse Gim · Reply

    • Agreed completely

      Posted 4 years ago by Charis W · Reply

    • Go by meritocracy, we dont need to appease any one race. Malaysia needs someone to take this important task to the highest levels-meritocracy is the best yardstick. Need some one with top class education...if only we can borrow the Minister of Education for Singapore ( System ranks no2 in the world). : but I am sure we have many good candidates. Enough of laughable black shoes....what a Jackass!

      Posted 4 years ago by Partick Ignatious · Reply

  • No matter what, you will be remembered throughout Malaysia's history. Hey, that's not something any Tom, Dick or Harry can achieve.

    Posted 4 years ago by Alex Lim · Reply

  • I suggest an Education Minister from East Malaysia.

    Posted 4 years ago by Anak Kampung · Reply

  • Good riddance....................but this may be a ploy to bring in someone more radical. We need a strong intellectual educationalist. We dont want this kangkong types..............dont blame him too much-he did everything that DR M wanted. The seeds of disunity have been sown-he did his job. What we need is more people who can bring Malaysian s together.

    Posted 4 years ago by Partick Ignatious · Reply

  • Education is a big deal. This guy was over his head and had no bloody clue on how to make the much needed changes after the total destruction that began with bad policies by past education ministers and the current PM. The system was not bad before Mahathir and Anwar Ibrahim started messing with it for political reasons. And it has gone downhill since. But hopefully we dont see another blunder in whoever his replacement is.

    Posted 4 years ago by Sunita petrus · Reply