If you have not heard, a mathematics teacher in Gombak recently found himself in hot water when his repeated complaints about the mathematics syllabus being too advanced for his Primary 2 students attracted the attention of the Ministry of Education (MoE).
Mohd Fadli Salleh, or more fondly known as Cikgu Fadli, received a letter from MoE threatening to sack or demote him. This development has caused uproar among Malaysians, with many politicians sharing their thoughts on the matter.
Yesterday, former education minister, Maszlee Malik said in a TikTok video that his ministry never resorted to actions that included the demotion or dismissal of teachers for being vocal with their concerns.
“Back when I was serving as the education minister, Cikgu Fadli was already very vocal with his opinions”, he said, adding that the ministry would attempt to resolve such conflicts by inviting teachers such as Cikgu Fadli to have a discussion.
The Simpang Renggam MP also emphasised that he is not interested in “scoring any political points“. Instead, he only wishes to develop the country’s education system and to give the nation’s children the best.
“My promise to you is that if we, myself and teachers alike, return to the MoE, we will not let what happened to Cikgu Fadli happen to other teachers. I can also guarantee that if I return to the MoE, we will abolish such measures and ensure justice for all, including Cikgu Fadli.”
Netizens are divided
In the comments, netizens mostly praised Maszlee for addressing the issue directly.
“A well-said response from the former education minister. Should Pakatan Harapan take the reins of leadership, there is no other nominee for the MoE but this man.”
Nonetheless, one netizen highlighted that the politician was taking advantage of the matter for his political gains despite claiming not to do so.
“He politicised it in the end after all.”
Watch the full video below:
@maszlee Saya telah dihujani dengan ribuan mesej meminta saya memberikan respon terhadap isu Cikgu Fadli, dan membantu beliau. Saya tidak mahu menpolitikkan isu ini, kerana ianya isu pendidikan. Berikut adalah respon saya sebagai mantan menteri pendidikan dan juga seorang pendidik. #justiceforcikgufadli #pendidikanuntuksemua #pendidikanharapannegara
Hopefully, these are not empty promises and an amicable solution can be reached.
