‘Tian Chua’s statement a ploy to woo voters’

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Datin Fatimah Abdullah

KUCHING: Datin Fatimah Abdullah yesterday rubbished PKR vice-president Tian Chua’s statement in Free Malaysia Today (online media) that Pakatan Rakyat would revamp education in Sabah and Sarawak if it were to form the government.

In dismissing it as a political ploy, like dangling a carrot to woo voters, the Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department, who is also minister in charge of education, stressed that education should not be politicised.

“It is true our education system is not perfect but from time to time improvements are being made,” she said.

Admitting that our education system should be relevant to keep up with changing times and needs, she pointed out that it could be revamped or enhanced through changes in policy, curriculum and curriculum contents, teachers training, assessment and evaluation of students’ achievement and professional development of teachers, among other things.

“True Sarawak and Sabah education context is different from peninsula Malaysia, therefore the modus operandi has to be different at times,” she explained.

“Whatever the short comings are, they are best overcome through discussions albeit sincerely put forward to the relevant authority. Where there is opportunity to be heard then we should address the
issues objectively and this is what we are doing,” she added.

Fatimah gave assurance that the government would always do its best for the state when it came to providing education.

At the same time, she disclosed that Sabah and Sarawak had set up a joint technical committee with regards to matters pertaining to education.

In the online portal, it was also stated Pakatan Rakyat would return the power to manage the education system to Sabah and Sarawak.