Maszlee upset with questions on quitting IIUM

(FMT) – Education Minister Maszlee Malik today refused to confirm if he had resigned as president of the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) as reported recently.

A visibly upset Maszlee said it would be discussed internally and the decision would be revealed later.

“Where did you get that news?

“I do not think it’s appropriate to talk about it now. We are witnessing a significant, historic event, but you insist on bringing up this rumour. I do not think it’s worth it,” he said in a press conference after opening the convocation ceremony and presenting scrolls to IIUM graduates this morning.

Maszlee then “educated” the reporters present on how not to be “party poopers”.

“You do not want to be disrespectful to the host.

“(It’s like) we attend a wedding ceremony but you gatecrashed it and ask when is the divorce.

“This is not the way Malaysians behave. I do not know whether you’re ethical, but I do not think it’s ethical to ask about this issue,” he said.

Earlier, an aide to Maszlee said the minister had agreed to resign as IIUM president when a suitable replacement could be appointed. This was supposedly due to pressure from Cabinet members and Pakatan Harapan leaders (PH).

“He is appointing someone to take his place. However, the process takes time as the appointment needs the consent of the prime minister and the Sultan of Pahang,” the aide said.

Following the report, student activists who protested against Maszlee’s appointment earlier expressed their delight that the education minister had agreed to step down from IIUM.

The minister’s office, however, said Maszlee had decided to postpone his resignation from IIUM until after the four-day convocation ceremony which began today.

Meanwhile, Maszlee also defended his decision to appoint Abdul Wahid Omar to the board of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), despite criticisms from PPBM Supreme Council member A Kadir Jasin.

He said the appointment was made after obtaining consensus from the “highest authority” and also because of Wahid’s credentials.

“Many government officials are from the previous government.

“What did he (Wahid) do? I do not think we should rely on rumours. Some say he was removed from PNB (Permodalan Nasional Berhad), but that is not true and we do not make any decisions based on rumours.”

Wahid was appointed as a senator to lead a portfolio in the Prime Minister’s Department during former prime minister Najib Razak’s administration. However, he later resigned.

After the change of government, the former Maybank chief was removed as chairman of PNB.

“Perhaps Maszlee did not realise Wahid was fired from PNB or he disagreed with Wahid’s removal, or Maszlee is just too clever for ordinary mortals,” Kadir said in his blog.