KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 18 — Incumbent Education Minister Datuk Radzi Jidin today said that the Ministry of Education (MoE) does not prevent teachers from voicing out their concerns.
Conversely, it welcomed feedback from all stakeholders, he said at a press conference earlier today, according to a report from online news portal Free Malaysia Today.
“In whatever engagements I’ve had with educators, I have never closed the door for them to put forward their views,” he was quoted as saying.
He also said that MoE will not interfere in the case of Mohd Fadli Mohamed Salleh, better known as Cikgu Fadli, according to a separate news report from The Star.
There was a boundary between ministers and civil servants when it comes to disciplinary actions taken against the latter and he has to distance himself from the actions of the disciplinary board in accordance with his role as a minister, he told reporters at the launch of the Inisiatif Reading Progress Di Sekolah event held yesterday.
“However, I trust that the board will make a decision that is professional based on whatever assessments that have been conducted,” he was quoted as saying.
He reportedly added that in cases of disciplinary action against civil servants, there are due processes that must be observed.
“What is important is that all quarters follow this process in a professional manner,” he was quoted as saying.
Mohd Fadli, a Mathematics teacher at Sekolah Kebangsaan (1) Gombak, had aired his grievances on social media with several issues he had identified in the Malaysian education system, which went viral.
He claimed that he had initially gone through the proper channels with his complaints, but no action was taken.
He is facing disciplinary action under Regulation 19(1)(c) of the Public Officer Regulations (Conduct and Discipline) 1993, which states that a public officer may not, through written or verbal means, provide any review on the weaknesses of any policy, plan or decision of the government.
The Education Services Disciplinary Board Support Group (No. 1), chaired by Datuk Yusran Shah Mohd Yusof, will decide on the matter today.
