Malay teachers must reclaim role as community activists, says PN leader
Published on: Saturday, May 31, 2025
Published on: Sat, May 31, 2025
By: FMT Reporters Text Size: Bersatu's Saifuddin Abdullah said Malay teachers have long played a pivotal role in shaping national identity and in community leadership. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA: A Perikatan Nasional MP has urged Malay teachers to revive the historic role they played in activism that contributed significantly to the Malay independence movement, culture and politics. Saifuddin Abdullah said Malay teachers should serve as catalysts contributing ideas, community leaders and political activists to steer the nation's future. 'Historically, Malay teachers have provided crucial leadership and have taken management roles in political parties. 'Their involvement has enabled parties to reach their peak and played a key role in advancing the interests of the Malay community,' the Indera Mahkota MP said when delivering a keynote address at the Forum Pendidikan Melayu, organised by the Selangor Gabungan Pelajar Melayu Semananjung, at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. 'With teachers playing such key roles, they were known then as 'parti berjuang' (parties that led the struggle). Today, with fewer teachers involved, some parties have become 'parti berwang' (cash-rich parties).' Saifuddin, who heads the PN education bureau, also said teachers must be meaningfully involved in decision-making at all levels — from the schools right up to the education ministry.
Advertisement To better support teachers, he proposed expanding the number of subject matter experts, increasing funding for education research, improving career schemes, and easing teacher workloads by hiring more support staff and clerical personnel. He added that these ideas were part of PN's education reform proposals, completed in March last year. They outline reforms in philosophy, policy, curriculum, technical and vocational education and training, digital technology, human capital development, governance, and broader stakeholder involvement by parents and alumni. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.
Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Russian attacks kill five in Zaporizhzhia, injure several in Kharkiv, regional officials say
Local resident Lyudmila Tsinkush leaves her house that was damaged in a Russian drones strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, June 1, 2025. REUTERS/Thomas Peter (Reuters) -Russian shelling and air attacks killed five people outside the southeastern Ukraine city of Zaporizhzhia, while a drone attack on the northeast region of Sumy injured at least six early on Monday, including two children, regional officials said. Ivan Fedorov, writing on the Telegram messaging app, said three women died in a series of Russian shelling incidents targeting the village of Ternuvate, east of Zaporizhzhia late on Sunday. A shop and several homes were badly damaged. A man died in a nearby district in a Russian strike by a guided aerial bomb, Fedorov said. A total of nine people were injured in the Russian attacks and a private home was destroyed. Two children were among those injured in a Russian drone attack on the Sumy region, Oleh Sinehubov, the governor of the region, said on Monday on Telegram. "A 7-year-old boy is among the victims," Sinehubov said. He added that several buildings throughout the regions were damaged. The attacks come as both Russia and Ukraine are about to meet for a round of peace talks, trying to find a way to end the war that Russia launched with a full-scale invasion on its smaller neighbour more than three years ago. (Reporting by Ron Popeski, Bogdan Kochubey and Lidia Kelly; Editing by Lincoln by Ron Popeski and Lidia Kelly;Editing by Rod Nickel)
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Ukraine drone attacks on Russia spark fires, disrupt traffic, officials say
(Reuters) -Ukraine's overnight drone attacks on Russia's Kursk and Voronezh regions sparked residential fires and disrupted traffic on a major highway, regional officials said early on Monday. Russian air defence units destroyed a total of 162 Ukrainian drones overnight, downing 57 of the air weapons over the Kursk region that borders Ukraine. Falling debris from destroyed drones in the Kursk region sparked fires at several houses and damaged private apartments, acting governor of the region, Alexander Khinshtein, said on the Telegram messaging app. In the southern Russian region of Voronezh, where Russian air units destroyed 16 Ukrainian drones, regional governor Alexander Gusev said drone debris cut through power lines which fell on the M-4, a major expressway. A small section of the highway, which links the cities of Moscow, Voronezh, Rostov-on-Don and Krasnodar, was closed, Gusev said. Falling drone debris also damaged the facade of several houses, he added on Telegram. There were no injuries reported, the governors of the regions said. The attacks come as both Russia and Ukraine are about to meet for a round of peace talks, trying to find a way to end the war that Russia launched with a full-scale invasion on its smaller neighbour more than three years ago. (Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Rod Nickel and Lincoln Feast.)
Free Malaysia Today
3 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
No need for teachers to lead mass movements again, says NUTP
NUTP secretary-general Fouzi Singon said teachers aren't as visible as before but still play an important role in criticising government leaders, especially on social media. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : The National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) says there is no pressing need for teachers to lead mass movements as they did in the past, given today's political and social landscape. NUTP secretary-general Fouzi Singon said teachers remain important voices when criticising government leaders, especially on social media, even if they are no longer at the forefront as before. He said the landscape has changed, with Malay society now more diverse and materialistic, meaning the old model of teacher-led activism is no longer necessary. 'In the past, Malay society did look to the teachers to lead nationalist movements. But the situation today does not demand such mobilisation,' he told FMT. Fouzi's remarks came in response to Indera Mahkota MP Saifuddin Abdullah's call for Malay teachers to revive their historic role in activism that helped shape Malaysia's independence, culture, and politics. Saifuddin said Malay teachers should serve as catalysts, contributing ideas, community leaders and political activists to steer the nation's future. Fouzi agreed that teachers remain key agents of political change, though their contributions often go unrecognised. 'Their current role is to preserve Malay and Eastern socio-cultural values and empower the younger generation to build the nation,' he said. 'It is important not to sideline teachers in national agendas. Their views must be taken seriously. With 420,000 teachers nationwide, it's possible they could mobilise if the time is right.'
