The Education Portfolio & Its Landmines
In the wake of Dr Maszlee Malik’s resignation as Minister of Education,[1] various names have been proposed as his replacement. Possible candidates touted include[2]:
i) Saifuddin Abdullah, the current Foreign Minister;
ii) Mustapa Mohamed, the former International Trade and Industry Minister;
iii) Jomo Kwame Sundaram, a notable economist;
iv) Mohd Sham Mohd Sani, former Vice Chancellor of the National University of Malaysia;
v) Nurul Izzah Anwar, Member of Parliament for Permatang Pauh.
It cannot be denied that Dr Maszlee brought about some notable reforms during his 20 month tenure.[3] However, it was also marred with controversy. During his press conference on 2nd January 2020, Dr Maszlee was quoted as having said:
“I have been seen to be the cause of many crises, including the Jawi calligraphy issue, Internet at schools and the free breakfast programme.”[4]
It is undeniable that the Education portfolio is rife with Catch-22s, resulting in this particular ministerial position being a less than desirable one.
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