KUALA LUMPUR: Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin yesterday refuted Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s allegations that he belittled the role of teachers when he questioned the opposition’s offer to introduce a special monthly allowance of RM500.
Muhyiddin, who is also Education Minister, instead described the allegation as a desperate attempt by the opposition leader to get support from the public.
“Only a dumb Education Minister does not appreciate teachers, this is how desperate Anwar Ibrahim is, eventhough he was formerly Minister of Education.”
“I am happy to hear about the offer, but what I am saying is we have to look into totality to actually interpret the so called offer in real term.”
“The wise and smart Anwar Ibrahim should know this, but because of politics and elections, he is willing to do this regardless of risking bankruptcy and increasing costs as long as he wins and can become prime minister,” he said at a news conference after launching the Teach For Malaysia programme, here yesterday.
Muhyiddin was commenting on Anwar’s disappointment on his statement that introducing the RM500 special monthly allowance for educators would leave Malaysia bankrupt.
In this context, Muhyiddin challenged the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) adviser to implement a salary increase for civil servants in states under opposition rule first if they are sincerely concerned about their welfare.
On the offer made by the opposition, Muhyiddin said the government would soon give an overall response on all offers by the opposition coalition, including the special educators allowance.
“We will review all offers, but Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has already informed us that we will respond on the 100 Days Reforms programme as a whole,” he said.
The opposition’s offer to educators was part of the 100 Days Reforms programme tabled by the opposition pact at their convention in Penang last Sunday it contains nine agendas including the management of the country, economy and education which will be carried out within a 100-day period if they win the 13th general election. — Bernama