Malaysian Education Minister Maszlee Malik resigns, raising spectre of cabinet shake-up
- Maszlee Malik had faced months of criticism in a tenure that was marred by controversy and questionable announcements
- He is the first minister to leave his post since Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad’s Pakatan Harapan coalition came to power in May 2018
Maszlee Malik, a member of Mahathir’s nationalist Malaysian United Indigenous Party (Bersatu), said at a press conference that he had been advised by the prime minister to step down, and did so with “a willing yet heavy heart”. He had faced months of resistance and criticism from voters who said he had underperformed, and is the first minister to leave his post since Mahathir’s Pakatan Harapan coalition came to power in May 2018.
In a statement released immediately after the resignation, Mahathir accepted his former minister’s resignation and thanked him for his service.
“I will announce his replacement soon,” the prime minister said.
Maszlee’s tenure as education chief was marred by controversy, beginning with a much-derided July 2018 announcement that his ministry would be changing the official colour of shoes to be worn as part of school uniform from white to black, as dirt shows up more on white shoes and they require more cleaning.