It looks like Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad won’t be our new Education Minister as initially announced!
According to Channel NewsAsia, Tun Dr Mahathir has decided not to take the portfolio of Education Minister to honour the Pakatan Harapan (PH) manifesto that was put out before the 14th general election.
JUST IN: Malaysian PM, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, is no longer taking on the Education Minister portfolio as initially announced, to honour a pledge made in his coalition Pakatan Harapan's manifesto. pic.twitter.com/NxBMluXTYe
— Sumisha Naidu (@SumishaCNA) May 18, 2018
Speaking in a Facebook video uploaded on Parti Peribumi Bersatu’s page, the prime minister stated,
“That is the provision of the manifesto and I cannot break it.”
Just yesterday (17th May) at a press conference for the PH Presidential Council, Tun Dr Mahathir announced five names that would make up the cabinet, while the other 8 names are still yet to be decided.
Source: PPBM | Facebook
After naming himself as Education Minister, reporters asked him why he chose to take on the role, to which he responded, “Because many people in Malaysia seem to be uneducated.”
News of Tun Dr Mahathir taking up the role of Education Minister caused some confusion among Malaysians, as one of the promises listed out in PH’s manifesto was that the Prime Minister would not hold additional ministerial posts.
We would like to remind the Pakatan Harapan government of Promise 12 on page 38 of their #GE14/#PRU Manifesto:
"The Prime Minister will not simultaneously hold other ministerial posts…"
Why is the Prime Minister now the Education Minister? @bersih2 @chedetofficial pic.twitter.com/IO4jVRB2BY
— Global Bersih (@GlobalBersih) May 17, 2018
Even politicians like Lim Kit Siang were also confused by the decision, as other PH members promised to remind the Prime Minister about the manifesto’s promise.
Confess I am stumped myself. Apart from PM cannot be FM, not aware that PH manifesto proposed PM cannot hold another portfolio. https://t.co/rskjygt3Ke
— Lim Kit Siang (@limkitsiang) May 17, 2018
Looks like we’ll have to wait and see who will be our new Education Minister, then!
Also read: Tun M is Our New Education Minister Because “Many M’sians Are Uneducated”
