TO say that Malaysia’s political arena has been full of colours is an understatement.

Education Minister Maszlee Malik’s entry into our political scene has been anything but colourful, creating some of the most controversial issues our education scene has seen for years.

To those who follow his path in the run-up to the last general election, despite being a university lecturer then, Maszlee was a well-regarded figure in the public sphere, often moderating public forums with panellists from the opposing camps in Malay political circles.

Thus, his rise from a more neutral forum moderator to a Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate for Simpang Renggam came as a surprise.

Being elevated to the post of a minister for one of the most critical ministry following PH’s victory is short of a miracle, especially when more popular and seasoned politicians could only dream such a meteoric rise.  

A media darling, Maszlee never fails to impress the media with his news materials. Except that his news subjects are almost always sensationalised in a bad light.

His black shoe idea must be the most talked about news for the year, never mind if he’d done something more significant and that many parents are relieved with the move.

Never mind if performance of other ministries are poorer. Never mind if other ministries might not have anything significant to report.

Never mind if the immediate past education minister is anything but forgettable that many would not have a clue what he’d done.

Perhaps it has nothing to do with performance after all.

Despite some changes, our political ecosystem with its many stakeholders and varied interests is anything but murky and toxic, while newfound freedom and the rise of fake news offer a conducive ground for anyone to further their agenda.

That the Malaysian education system is a divided lot is an open secret and thus, any education minister in the new Malaysia will never be able to please everyone, even if one chooses the middle ground.

No matter what the critics say, over the decades, despite its many faces – national and vernacular education, public and private initiatives, our education has been successful in alleviating living standards for many Malaysians.

But, there are still children who cannot access quality education, we are trapped as a middle-income nation since end of 1990s and are yet to be an innovative economy, must have to do, partly, to our education system.

But, do we expect a 20-months old minister to solve this seemingly wicked problem that even the more illustrious previous education ministers could not achieve?

To his supporters, Maszlee’s departure is a sad day for Malaysian education and her children’s future.

He was a new hope for the many, particularly those who felt excluded from the education system, such as children with disabilities.

But for some, it is heaven-sent, and that Maszlee must go.  Whatever the reason. – January 4, 2020.

* Mohammad Abdul Hamid reads The Malaysian Insight.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.