Education Minister, Mahdzir Khalid, was quoted by Chinese newspaper Kwong Wah as saying that civil servants, education department officers and teachers were also banned from joining any opposition party of criticising the ruling government.
“We won’t allow any of our officers to join any opposition party or hold any party post. But it’s okay if they were to join the government,” Mahdzir was quoted as saying.
Mahdzir allegedly added that those who opposed the government should resign before the ministry asked them to do so.
The Sarawak opposition slammed the Education Minister’s comments, saying teachers have the right to freedom of association.
“This is against the democratic rights of an individual to support any political party of his or her choice,” Baru Bian, the Ba Kelalan assemblyman, said.
“I may agree to the fact that one may not be allowed to openly criticise the government of the day and that may be governed by some General Orders, but it’s definitely unconstitutional for the minister to threaten the teachers not to support the opposition.”
However, Mahdzir has denied that he made the comments, saying that the reports were misinterpreted by the newspaper’s reporter.
“Voting is secret, so how can I warn anyone who wants to vote for the Opposition?” he told The Star Online.
Mahdzir said he had simply told a gathering of teachers at Putrajaya last week that civil servants, especially headmasters, should be mindful of their positions.
“I only reminded them of their positions and that they must ‘fine tune’ and put a ‘buffer zone’ between their career and political ideology,” Mahdzir said.
“They cannot be going on the same stage with Opposition leaders since they are civil servants who are meant to carry out government policies. I have never made any threats or asked them to quit if they support the Opposition.”
He added that it was a fact that some teachers, including principals, hold positions in Opposition parties, including PKR and PAS.
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