Harapan: Parliament needs to debate education issues as well
The Pakatan Harapan Education Committee is questioning why the next week's special session of Parliament does not present or discuss national education issues under the Education Ministry and the Higher Education Ministry.
The committee said based on the agenda of the meeting order notice issued by the Dewan Rakyat secretary, the five-day parliamentary session beginning on July 26 only involved ministerial briefings on government plans related to the Covid-19 prevention programme, vaccination programme, emergency and National Recovery Plan...
The Pakatan Harapan Education Committee is questioning why the next week's special session of Parliament does not present or discuss national education issues under the Education Ministry and the Higher Education Ministry.
The committee said based on the agenda of the meeting order notice issued by the Dewan Rakyat secretary, the five-day parliamentary session beginning on July 26 only involved ministerial briefings on government plans related to the Covid-19 prevention programme, vaccination programme, emergency and National Recovery Plan.
"This conference is very important for the people through their MPs to know the government's plans on education issues," the Harapan committee said in a statement today.
The statement was jointly signed by Simpang Renggam MP Maszlee Malik, Setiawangsa MP Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, Tampin MP Hasan Bahrom, Kulai MP Teo Nie Ching, Sekijang MP Natrah Ismail, Bukit Mertajam MP Steven Sim Chee Keong, and Tangga Batu MP Rusnah Aluai.
Maszlee, who is an independent lawmaker, chairs the committee. He was the education minister during Harapan's time in the federal government.
They urged the special session of Parliament to also include the presentation and briefing from the two ministries.
"The issue of national education, whether it involved schools or universities during the Covid-19 epidemic, is as important as the issue of health, safety and economy and it needed to be discussed.
"MPs should also be given space to ask questions, debate and give views on the plans of the two ministries," said the committee.
They said the people have lost confidence in the government partly because the two ministries have lost their direction in managing the country's education system.
The five-day special parliamentary session is being held from July 26 to Aug 2.
