REACTIONS TO DR MASZLEE’S RESIGNATION
KUCHING: The resignation of Dr Maszlee Malik as education minister effective today is a very honourable act by a politician, said Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr James Jemut Masing.
“He has done his best to better the Malaysian education system. Unfortunately, however, his best was not good enough for the nation.
“So when that happens, what do you do? You have to resign. I hope others who have been under-performing will also follow Maszlee’s example,” Masing said when contacted here yesterday
Meanwhile, political commentator Datuk Peter Minos said Maszlee may have been asked to resign by the prime minister.
Minos believed the decision was because too many Malaysians, groups and individuals had expressed adverse comments on his decisions like the black shoes, hotel swimming pools for school kids, jawi issue among others.
“The people want to see an education minister thinking big and strategic, not doing and working on petty and inconsequential matters.
“Malaysians are generally of the view that our education system needs a complete overhaul in view of badly declining standard of both spoken and written English, graduates not knowing what to do after university and college, students doing rote instead of thinking and analysing, and lack of creativity and innovation from graduates.
“We all know the problems but the minister was not thinking of how to improve the education standard and quality,” noted Minos.
As parents, Minos said they expect their children to come out having the expertise and skills for jobs after university or college, not those with the ‘don’t know’ culture and cannot even write a proper sentence in English.
“We must admit that our education standard is now very low. That is why Malaysians who can afford it go overseas or attend local international universities although expensive,” added Minos.
Minos hoped that a new education minister is one who has good ideas, creative and innovative, adding he must push up the education standard and quality.
