Cabinet of surprise
New Education Minister also plans to ease workload of teachers
Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad sprang several surprises when he announced his new Cabinet line-up. First, he exited as Education Minister and named little-known Dr Maszlee Malik for the portfolio. Then, another newbie Rina Harun was made Rural Development Minister. However, the real shocker came with the selection of Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Azmin Ali as Economic Affairs Minister. Will Azmin now quit as MB? Or will he hold both positions? The plot thickens.
I cannot break the manifesto at the moment, unless there is a demand that I should take up the education portfolio. I can’t pass to my deputy. Deputy has already been given a ministry ... there is no restriction on the deputy.
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad
PETALING JAYA: Johor Baru-born Dr Maszlee Malik’s stated aim in the next five years is to ensure the national school system becomes the choice of parents and students.
“We are only playing with numbers, rankings, achievement rates based on exams. In the ‘Buku Harapan’ (Pakatan Harapan’s Manifesto), we offer a few comprehensive initiatives for the education system, says the newly-named Education Minister.
“We also want to lighten the load of teachers by creating teaching assistants, smaller class sizes and reducing clerical tasks,” Dr Maszlee told Astro Awani in a programme where he was joined by DAP strategist Liew Chin Tong.
The academic, a lecturer at International Islamic University Malaysia, said both teachers and academicians at institutes of higher learning were facing pressure.
“When allocations are slashed and we are burdened with chasing after rankings, doing business and others, we are distracted from our core tasks as educators.
“For teachers and students, the process of learning and teaching are no longer as fun and joyful as before,” said Dr Maszlee.
The Persatuan Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Pribumi) MP, who won the Simpang Renggam seat in Johor, received his Bachelors and Masters in Islamic Jurisprudence and Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence from University Malaya and Jordan’s al-Bayt University.
He received his doctorate in Political Science from Durham University in the United Kingdom, and is a board member for think tank IDEAS’ Autism Centre.
He is among the 14-member Cabinet named by Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad yesterday.
The proposed list was approved by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Muhammad V at Istana Negara yesterday evening.
PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail was named for two posts, namely that of Deputy Prime Minister and Women and Family Development Minister.
Pribumi president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin was named Home Minister while Parti Amanah Negara president Mohamad Sabu was named Defence Minister and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng as Finance Minister.
Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali was surprisingly named Economic Affairs Minister.
Also in the list were Pribumi’s Rina Harun who was named as Rural Development Minister and PKR’s Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin who will be Housing and Local Government Minister.
DAP lawmakers Anthony Loke Siew Fook was named Transport Minister, Gobind Singh Deo as Communications and Multimedia Minister and M. Kulasegaran the Human Resource Minister.
Amanah’s Salahuddin Ayub will head the Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Ministry while Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad will be Health Minister.
The new Cabinet ministers will take their oath of office before the Yang di-Pertuan Agong at Istana Negara at 11.30am on Monday.