Berita

KUALA LUMPUR: Named as Malaysia's education minister on Friday (May 18), Dr Maszlee Malik of Bersatu is determined to improve the education system, including easing the burden of teachers.

The Simpang Renggam Member of Parliament said the current education system needed to be injected with new methods and should not be too focused on ranking and examinations.

"Among the things that need to be changed are the burden of teachers who are required to do clerical work and do not concentrate on the main thing, which is to teach, while students are burdened with heavy bags because they have to carry a lot of books,” he said.

When interviewed on the Astro Awani programme on Friday, Maszlee, 44, admitted that he did not expect to be given the education portfolio, which according to him was normally helmed by those more senior and more experienced.

His name was listed in the line-up of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad’s 14 Cabinet ministers who received the consent of Sultan Muhammad V on Friday.

They are scheduled to take their oath of office on Monday. Other Cabinet members will be appointed later.

Dr Mahathir had initially said he would take up the post of education minister, but made a U-turn after members of the public pointed out his coalition's manifesto had pledged that there would be no double portfolios for the premier.

LECTURER, CONTRIBUTOR TO THINK-TANKS

Born in Johor Bahru, Maszlee is a lecturer at the Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia.

He also contributes to a number of think-tanks and is often invited as a forum panelist or moderator to discuss issues relating to Islamic politics and the politics of the Middle East.

Maszlee obtained a bachelor’s degree from the Al al-Bayt University, Jordan and pursued a masters degree at the University of Malaya, both in the field of Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) and Usul al-Fiqh (Principles of Islamic jurisprudence).

He later furthered his studies at the School of Governments and International Affairs at the University of Durham, United Kingdom in 2007 and received a doctorate in the field of Good Governance in 2011.

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