SEREMBAN, July 27 — The contributions of teachers in educating and moulding the next generation of leaders is monumental and must be appreciated by all levels of society, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said.
He said although there were one or two cases of misconduct in the profession, they are not an overall representation of the country’s hundreds of thousands of teachers.
“The passion of teaching needs to be reflected in our conscience with love, that’s why I told Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek, also in the media and social media, that if there are reports of misconduct involving one or two teachers, it does represent the hundreds of thousands of teachers.
“Of course, among the many teachers that we have, there are bound to be offenders, and that is why, I always stress that the media must be fair as the majority of teachers have served with dedication,” he said at an appreciation event for Negeri Sembilan teachers here today.
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun and Fadhlina were also present.
At the function, Anwar also presented the 2023 Negeri Sembilan MADANI Teacher and MADANI Education Leader awards.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister said the Education Ministry is always given priority because education forms the basis of other fields, such as economy, sustainability, compassion and kindness.
Anwar said that when he took over as Prime Minister and Finance Minister, the nation’s debt was RM1.5 trillion but the Education Ministry allocation was not reduced as it’s an investment for the future.
“Once I took over last November, I tabled the MADANI Budget, the biggest allocation made by the Unity Government (was) to the Education Ministry (which) received an additional RM2 billion,” he said.
In addition, Anwar said broken school facilities and toilets nationwide must be repaired before the end of this year with the allocation of over RM1 billion provided.
“I want immediate action, tenders expedited, I call on district officers nationwide and focus on schools… before this December I don’t want even one school to have any problems with the toilets and basic facilities,” he said.
