MASZLEE Malik, the former Education Minister who is forever associated with black shoes in schools, is at it again. This time, he has taken aim at alcohol companies for funding development programmes of vernacular schools.

In an era where schools are under-funded and scrambling for resources, the one-term Simpang Renggam MP has decided to pander to the religious right instead of looking for practical solutions.

Let’s rewind a bit. Maszlee’s tenure as education minister was littered with missteps. Who can forget his decision to allow black shoes to be worn by school pupils? It was one of his first major policy decisions as minister!

In 2019, he was slammed for saying the government would consider removing a pre-university quota system for Malays if the private sector employed more Malays. The two issues were completely distinct.

As minister, Maszlee had also been directed by the Cabinet to drop his presidency of the International Islamic University Malaysia where he was a lecturer prior to joining politics.

The former Bersatu lawmaker (prior to joining PKR in the aftermath of the Sheraton Move conspiracy) was adamant for months that he wasn’t doing anything wrong although it was a Pakatan Harapan (PH) election promise not to have politicians as heads of universities in order to give them academic freedom.

His gaffes continued even after leaving the Cabinet. Last year, he publicly apologised to women after using inappropriate words in his role as an evil prime minister in the drama series “Kudeta”.

Many non-Muslims parents would also probably remember his eagerness to push through the teaching of khat (Jawi calligraphy) for Year 4 pupils during his tenure. Although he claimed it was not aimed at “establishing Islamisation in vernacular schools”, Chinese and Tamil education groups have voiced disapproval on grounds that it would create additional workload for pupils there.

Now, with his latest declaration against alcohol companies funding school programs, Maszlee appears to be wanting to top his comical acts.

He seems to suggest that the association between schools and alcohol companies will turn our kids into alcoholics although he later defended his stance that “it’s all about public health” or has no religious connotation given that indirect promotion of alcohol and cigarette elements are also banned from schools in China, Japan, South Korea and all other Asian countries.

The truth is that often, these contributions fund essential programmes that schools could otherwise not afford. From sports equipment to library books, the support from these companies fills gaps that the government budget fails to cover.

As former education minister, he should be aware of all these but chose to ignore them for the sake of political expediency.

Maszlee’s track record suggests a pattern: grandiose ideas with little follow-through. His current stance on alcohol companies is no different. Denouncing alcohol companies’ links to schools without offering viable stinks of political expediency.

This is after Maszlee called for the resignation of Deputy Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Aiman Athirah Sabu as Sepang MP as well as Amanah Women’s chief. Aiman had earlier attended a charity event organised by SJK(C) Tche Min in Sungai Pelek, Selangor which courted controversy after Tiger Beer was found to be involved in supporting the event.

One can’t help but wonder if Maszlee’s opposition is more about political posturing than genuine concern for welfare of school pipils. After all, it’s easier to take a stand against the big bad alcohol companies than to address the systemic issues plaguing our education system.

In the end, Maszlee’s latest outburst is just another chapter in his on-going saga of misguided priorities.

Instead of focusing on real solutions, he’s once again chosen to make a mountain out of a molehill. It’s a pattern we’ve seen before and, unfortunately, one we’re likely to see again. - July 29, 2024

https://focusmalaysia.my/schooling-ex-education-minister-maszlee-from-black-shoes-to-khat-to-banning-alcohol-funding/