Reminder not to support opposition was 'fatherly advice’, says Mahdzir’s press team

Updated 6 years ago · Published on 20 Jan 2018 9:26AM · 16 Comments

Education Minister Mahdzir Khalid was 'only advising you not to make statements that could negatively affect your future'. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, January 20, 2018.

EDUCATION Minister Mahdzir Khalid was giving “fatherly advice” when he reminded teachers and education officers not to support the opposition, the minister’s press team said on Twitter.

“What he said was like the advice that a father would give his children and not as the media have made it out to be in news that have gone viral,” the Education Ministry’s Media and Communications Office posted on Twitter late last night.

“He advises everyone, especially the civil servants, to be wise when making decisions and when issuing statements against the government, because they serve the government for the sake of the people.

“The statements you make can undermine your (civil servants) position in the public sector. Hence, he was only advising you not to make statements that could negatively affect your future. Thank you.”

The tweets were accompanied by a report of Mahdzir being quoted by Chinese daily Kwong Wah telling teachers that disciplinary action would be taken against them if they backed the opposition.

He said civil servants, including education department officers and teachers, were barred from joining any opposition party or criticising the government as these were tantamount to sabotaging the government and tarnishing its image. 

Mahdzir, who was delivering the ministry’s new year message at an event in Putrajaya, was quoted telling teachers who were guilty of such acts to resign before the ministry asked them to do so. 

It was all right, however, if the teachers were to join any of the ruling political parties, he said. 

National news agency Bernama reported a less strident version of  Mahdzir’s speech, quoting him as saying teachers in opposition political parties had to put a “buffer” between their political ideology and their work.

He reportedly said the ministry did not “want to disturb educators to the point of removing them from service” and hoped the teachers would  “act professionally”. – January 20, 2018.

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Comments

  • Something wrong up there..........Fatherly advice address on CORRUPTION

    Posted 6 years ago by Mohanarajan murugeson · Reply

  • Fatherly advise is needed to the present Government where corruption is concern. Don't tell others what to do when your own house is in a mess.

    Posted 6 years ago by Crishan Veera · Reply

  • If Mahdzir Khalid was giving “fatherly advice”, then give it to your biological kids in private. Other adults prefer their own father and dislike you as you're just another lanun.

    Posted 6 years ago by Kuasa Rakyat · Reply

  • Fatherly advice, my foot! That was a threat. Period! For that, he should be persecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Not that I hold any hope or breath that any action will be taken. UNM!

    Posted 6 years ago by HC Lung · Reply

  • The Minister of Education is he?
    WOW

    Posted 6 years ago by Bryan Lim · Reply

  • Ok now I understand...it's the request of the " Father of all evil".

    Posted 6 years ago by Alphonz Jayaraman · Reply

  • Wrong fatherly advice! He should have told them they are free to choose a government that can rebuild the broken schools; that will support them to bring law and order back in the schools. He was issuing threats, intimidating and even blackmailing the teachers. Teachers are the targets because they number about 500,000. That's a large vote-bank. So to get as many of their votes, by any means at all, is "halal".

    Posted 6 years ago by Ravinder Singh · Reply

  • Hipocrites!

    Posted 6 years ago by Anak Malaysia · Reply

  • Taik kuching kaw!

    Posted 6 years ago by Cat Lover · Reply

  • Trump team also says he did not pay porn actress and hookers for sex. Mahadzir team learn

    Posted 6 years ago by Bigjoe Lam · Reply

  • Trump saying he is not a racist and did not pay for sex from a porn actress has more credibility

    Posted 6 years ago by Bigjoe Lam · Reply

  • With this sort of "fatherly advice", it is clear that Malaysians absolutely have to disown such fathers who think nothing of abusing their powers and issue threats to twist the arms of those they have under them. Mahdzir has shown yet again just how desparate "best democracy" Najib's regime is, floundering as it is under a swelling deluge of reports about more and more corruption.

    Posted 6 years ago by K TWong · Reply

  • What rubbish about fatherly advice? It’s a threat and intimidation by a bangsat minister.

    Posted 6 years ago by Rupert Lum · Reply

  • This theme is appropriate for salleh - "kepala otak bapak kau" - you are no fatherly figure - you are a Snake (and a pretty corrupt one too)

    Posted 6 years ago by Chris Ng · Reply

  • Guess one as minister shoud think before making such statement which received rebutt from citizens. Communication team shoildn't repy as such " Fatherly Advise" bear in mind citizens are no longer blind or uneducated , ciyizens qre smart now they will read within the line nefore coment or viral it


    hin

    Posted 6 years ago by Abdul Rahman Abdul Razak · Reply

  • It is nauseating to hear such threats from Ministers. This clearly shows how desperate these being are! Such people need to be schooled in decency, decorum and democracy. This is nothing but abuse of power, ignorance and high-handedness.

    Posted 6 years ago by Peter Johnson · Reply