Less than two years of being in office, Dr Maszlee Malik has officially resigned as the Minister of Education.
Photo: Ministry of Education
"On the advice of the Prime Minister, and commitment to the party (Pakatan Harapan) and the government leadership, I have decided with a heavy heart, to resign as Education Minister effective 3 January 2020,” Maszlee said during a press conference called by him at 4:30 pm today at the Ministry of Education in Putrajaya.
He had handed his resignation letter to Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad earlier this afternoon.
Photo: Prime Minister's Office
Maszlee, who is also Simpang Renggam MP and a member of the Bersatu supreme leadership council, was appointed as Malaysia’s Education Minister on May 21, 2018. This came following public outcry against PM Dr Mahathir, who had initially elected himself for the said position.
His resignation marks the first change in the Cabinet since Pakatan Harapan took power on May 2018.
Maszlee explained that his time serving as Education Minister is not without controversies.
“I have come under fire for several issues as Education Minister, including the internet speed, jawi, and the free breakfast program” he said.
Notably, there are still many accomplishments that were achieved by the Ministry of Education under his reign.
The ministry was first to submit its 100 Day Report along with other tracking reports, setting an example for other ministries to follow suit.
Bernama shared the many initiatives taken by the ministry throughout the year 2019 which includes scholarships for the B40 community and a focus on more assistance towards students with disabilities.
Photo: Bernama
Maszlee completed his doctorate in Political Science from Durham University and used to teach at the International Islamic University Malaysia. He’s also actively involved in volunteering work, from being a board member of IDEAS Autism Centre and advisor for a non-governmental organisation, Teach for the Needs (TFTN). Maszlee joined politics in 2018 and was quickly entrusted to hold a position as a parliamentarian member and a minister.
In his speech, Maszlee thanked the Prime Minister for his faith in him leading the ministry’s education portfolio.
"I would like to extend my highest gratitude for Tun Dr Mahathir Mohd for giving me the responsibility to lead the Education Ministry for the past 20 months. It was the greatest gift to me as an educator and academic activist.”
We thank Dr Maszlee for his service and wish him the best of luck in his future endeavours!
By: Siti Farhana Sheikh Yahya
