Dear Dr M, here’s why secular education is important

QUESTION TIME | Dear Dr M,

When it comes to talking about education, it’s difficult to know where to start - you will know that pretty well because in 1974 you became education minister in your first ministerial position, one of the most meteoric rises of any politician in Umno.

You had been expelled in 1969 by Malaysia’s first prime minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman after you strongly advocated Malay rights and called for him to step down in the aftermath of the May 13 racial riots that year.

Tunku’s successor, Abdul Razak Hussein (Najib Razak’s father) not only reinstated you into Umno, but gave you a seat to contest in 1974, which you won. Following that Razak gave you the post of education minister.

Now, your education minister, Mazslee Malik - a first-time MP and a first-time education minister rivalling your own illustrious early career - is fumbling, bungling and is totally at sea in terms of what to do about education. He has decreed black shoes, khat, allowed Islamic missionaries in schools, is making breakfast for school children, doing everything, but not improving the basic educational system.

Dear Dr M, how long do you intend to keep this totally inept person in education and give him the rope to make more and more mistakes?...