RE-BUILDING MALAYSIAN EDUCATION

By Stephen Ng I find it amusing that Education Minister, Maszlee Malik has offered to meet up with Malaysiakini’s columnist FA Abdul. He has even suggested that the meeting be broadcast “live” on Facebook, but I do not think FA Abdul needs that kind of publicity when the spotlight should be on the minister himself. I would like to turn the table around on Maszlee. If he is unable to accept criticisms and learn from public comments, he has indeed failed the test of humility. I, for one, wanted to write about the cashless payment system in schools but due to work commitment, I dropped the idea. I think this is the last thing any minister should spend his time on. My children only gets RM2 to RM3 a day. Theft is only a minor problem, and to help them, I teach them to keep the money in a safe place. What’s the problem? One other reason I did not write is because I have become immune to yet another of Maszlee’s “out of the blue” ideas. Did he not previously suggest...

Stop harping about scholarships given to Palestinian youths By Stephen Ng A banner circulated widely on chat groups complain that Palestinian youths are given scholarships, while local students, especially the non-Malays, get crumbs. I have been observing a certain trend when one issue after another issue is played up to create people’s dissatisfaction against the ruling coalition. While I have expressed my disgust with education minister, Maszlee Malik over his insensitive remarks lately, and have urged him either to resign or face the sack over his incompetence as a minister, we have to be fair to him. Giving scholarships to foreigners is a good initiative if we believe that the world is indeed a global village. It is better that the youths from Palestine are given a good education than to be recruited by terrorists to carry out their agenda. Before this, the private universities have also given ASEAN scholarships to deserving students in other ASEAN countrie...

Be flexible with 1Murid 1Sukan By Stephen Ng As a parent-stakeholder, of course, I want the best for my children’s education, not only academically but also in all aspects of their personal development. In fact, I believe I am speaking on behalf of thousands of parents, especially in urban cities, who send their children to all sorts of extra-curricular activities outside the school. For example, kids go for music classes, swimming lessons, ballet, singing, public speaking, speech and drama, debates, tennis, golfing, archery, or even their preferred martial arts, which are not offered in schools. This allows them to pursue and develop their area of interest, while at the same time help to develop their character, self-confidence and leadership skills. For my family, the weekends are the busiest time of the week, as my wife and I have to ferry them around. I am sure many other parents do the same for their children. Not every activity offered by the schools i...

The letter written by " Selangor Teacher " praising Education Minister, Dr Maszlee Malik is indeed ticklish to say the least. As a parent, I have been following closely on the education issues in our government schools. It is unfortunate that I have to give Maszlee an "F" for his performance in the past one year.  Let me elaborate so that he and his people will be more focused on the real issues instead of operating in a bubble.  FIRSTLY,  one can craft out the most beautiful policies but when it comes to implementation, if it is not done correctly, it will flop.  I have  written  at great length my complaints about the 1Murid, 1Sukan policy after several letters to Maszlee were unattended to.  A simple request to ask on behalf of parents whose children are attending a church-based uniformed group has dragged on for a year now. What is so difficult to give these children the exemption so that they do not need to attend another uni...

Streaming: Think carefully before you speak, Maszlee By Stephen Ng The latest talk in town about our education minister, Maszlee Malik focuses on the decision to abolish the Science and Arts streams. I have no problem with that but, with what we have heard from Maszlee himself about the black/white shoes and hotels offering their swimming pools as their corporate social responsibility, I am just worried that the combining of curricula, like the teaching of Science and Mathematics in English, if not done properly, will cause our education system to fall apart. Great ideas will not necessarily bring about the positive results if we fail at the implementation stage. Apparently, Maszlee and his deputy, Teo Nie Ching is not in touch with the real issues affecting our government schools. The cooperation of the teachers to help achieve the desirable results has yet to be seen, but in the past, we have seen that the ministry can issue a certain directive or guideline, but o...

By Stephen Ng It is not very helpful when the Deputy Minister of Education, Teo Nie Ching allowed the Parent-Teacher Association (PIBG) to decide on whether computer classes can be conducted during school hours. This clearly shows that Teo is either unaware of the numerous issues with PIBG in schools, or she is aware, but willing to play along with the PIBG. If the latter is true, it is legacy and impression that she will leave behind which is inconsistent with Malaysia Baru. It is no wonder that even writer, Mariam Mokhtar says, after the 14th General Election, the " DAP plays the "Three Monkey" -- deaf, blind and mute. " Only a few people such as the DAP stalwart, Lim Kit Siang speak up against injustice, race based politics and attacks on religion. Repeatedly, I have urged the Ministry of Education to tighten the control over the PIBG, as the association has often been used as a rubber stamp for school principals. School principals love to have c...

Get your facts right before talking about paid IT Literacy classes!  By Stephen Ng  Photo credit: Free Malaysia Today https://www.facebook.com/151049370447/posts/10155724607560448/ I would like to ask Teo Nie Ching what is the meaning  free education that the government is said to provide to primary school children. At a press conference recently, Jiazhong adviser Edward Neoh said that the Deputy Minister of Education had given the greenlight to schools to bring back the paid computer classes. According to Teo, the schools are allowed to conduct these classes during school hours provided the school Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) has unanimously agreed to conduct it. It appears to me that Teo had said that the state education department (JPN) is empowered to approve on the paid classes during school hours. Parents would then have to pay for these classes that are conducted by external vendors. I want Teo to explain how schools and PIBG...

By Stephen Ng In October last year, I wrote about the appeal to the Minister of Education, Dr Maszlee Malik to grant exemption for kids who are already participating in a church-based uniformed group. I see it fit to bring this up again, as a follow-up letter to Maszlee which  has gone unheeded. I wish to reiterate that, as parents, we agree and support the ministry’s 1Sukan, 1Murid policy.  However, how our children participate in one sports, one uniformed group and one club, is in the hands of parents, not the policymakers.  For example, I send my  children to a uniform group in my church every Sunday because I find it providing a holistic character and leadership development programme for my children. They, too, love the activities of their outpost. When my family were hospitalised because of dengue, the commanders visited my children. This really cheered them up.  For this reason, my children know that they would not trade i...

By Stephen Ng I cannot help it but pick up a comment from a good friend of mine, Patrick Teoh, when I saw it being viralled around. Like me, Teoh has been very quiet for some time, but for him to make an occasional remark about Malaysian Education Minister, Maszlee Malik, there is more to this than meets the eye. Teoh's words were packed with sarcasm:  "Oh sorry I must have missed it. But which 2nd language did we master already?"  Knowing Teoh as a man who would not hold back his punches, I can fully understand his frustrations. I, too, was equally puzzled with Maszlee's latest statement about wanting Malaysians to master a third language. My personal opinion is that Maszlee was merely trying to parrot former Minister of Trade and Industries, Rafidah Aziz who merely said during her school days, they could even learn French but today, French is no longer in our vocabulary. Rafidah was in fact hitting out at...

Photo credit: Free Malaysia Today By Stephen Ng I find it most appalling when Education Minister, Maszlee Malik still chose to  defend  his statement made in parliament recently about urging the ustaz and ustazahs to remain in Sabah and Sarawak to make it their 'Medan Dakwah.' This, despite of all the grouses raised by Sabahans and Sarawakians. The minister is just insensitive towards the feelings of all Malaysians, and in particular, our East Malaysian brothers and sisters. Here are just some samples of what people have spoken up. https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2018/12/20/swak-natives-denounce-maszlees-conversion-remark-demand-clarity/#WOh7cHf9v12Tqy0Z.41 https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2018/12/20/oh-maszlee-sabah-govt-urged-to-take-back-education-rights/ https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2018/12/20/sabah-council-of-churches-urges-maszlee-to-respect-constitution/ https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2018/12/20/minister-tread-on-racial-and-r...

By Stephen Ng Former Minister of Trade and Industries, Rafidah Aziz was on holiday overseas when I posted a simple question on several chat groups. The question was simple, but it was intended to convince the Iron Lady to consider coming back to serve the nation. Hence, my question to the the chat groups was just this: "Do you all support Rafidah Aziz as education minister? Please comment and I will forward to her your comments." Within just a span of a couple of hours, the response was overwhelming. There were at least 50 comments flowing in from the few chat groups, all which I managed to forward to the former cabinet minister. I have no ulterior motive, but it is obvious that I am not the only who think Rafidah is a more capable lady to run the Ministry of Education. I reproduce the comments here: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "I agree totally. Our main problem is our education system is s...