Education Minister Mahdzir Khalid says event organised by FT ministry and education department was meant to create awareness of country’s history.
KUALA LUMPUR: Education Minister Mahdzir Khalid has denied claims that an Umno-themed event held at a school in Putrajaya recently was political in nature.
Explaining that the event carried the theme of independence and was not about politics, he said, “For your information, the programme at SK Putrajaya Presint 14(1) was a competition organised by the federal territories ministry, together with the Putrajaya Federal Territories Education Department, with independence as the theme, not politics.”
Mahdzir gave the explanation in a written parliamentary reply to Teresa Kok (DAP-Seputeh) today.
Mahdzir added that the programme on Oct 3 was held to create a generation that was aware of the country’s history and its fight for independence.
Earlier Kok had asked Mahdzir to state why Pakatan Harapan leaders like Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng had been barred from entering public schools, while the Putrajaya school had hosted the Umno-themed event that was officiated by Federal Territories Minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor.
She also asked what action had been taken against the school for holding the event.
Mahdzir said his ministry made sure that all teaching staff pledged their loyalty to the Agong, country and ruling government, as stipulated under Regulation 4(1) of the Civil Servants Regulations (Conduct and Discipline) 1993.
He added that according to a circular, all government staff were prohibited from taking part in anti-government activities.