Make education part of special Parliamentary sitting, Gov’t urged

THE Pakatan Harapan Education Committee (JKPPH) has called for the special parliamentary sitting next week to include presentations by the Education Ministry and Higher Education Ministry as part of its agenda.

The committee also expressed its disappointment that the Parliament Secretary’s recent circular on the special five-day meeting did not include any presentation or debate related to the education system’s current situation.

“The (special) meeting is very important for the people, through their MPs, to find out the Government’s plans concerning education and the plans that have been drafted by the relevant ministries.

“The committee believes that issues relating to education during the COVID-19 pandemic are as important as issues of health, security and the economy, and must be brought up as an agenda in the upcoming special sitting,” the committee said in a statement today (July 21).

The statement was undersigned by former education minister Dr Maszlee Malik, former deputy education minister Teo Nie Ching, Setiawangsa MP Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, Tampin MP Datuk Dr Hasan Bahrom, Sekijang MP Natrah Ismail, Bukit Mertajam MP Steven Sim, and Tangga Batu MP Rusnah Aluai.

The committee further urged the Government to include MOE and MOHE as part of the parliamentary sitting’s agenda, and for MPs to be given the opportunity to discuss and debate the ministries’ proposals for the areas under their purview.

The committee asserts that Malaysians’ faith in the Government was declining, which it said was in part due to the two ministries’ lack of direction in managing the country’s education system.

“The absence of presentations by the two ministries in the special Parliamentary sitting will only solidify these views,” it said.

On July 5, the Prime Minister’s Office announced that Parliament will reconvene for five days starting July 26 while the Dewan Rakyat will sit for three days from Aug 3. – July 21, 2021

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