Bernama:
Newly-appointed Deputy Education Minister Datuk Mary Yap today said she was committed to ensure that the Education Ministry was free from politics.It's not a matter of her preference, bringing politics to the education is a big NO-NO. Nonetheless, everyone knows that education matters, especially those concerning Chinese and Indian communities, have always been manipulated by the government for political gains.
She said such a commitment was vital as she viewed the widespread of negative sentiments that influence the younger generation to not appreciate the efforts of the government, as really alarming.
"As an educationist and deputy minister, I don't like to bring in politics into education because here we are educating the younger generation.
"It worries me to find out that the culture of getting our younger generation to not appreciate what the government was doing and that is really alarming but I would not want to comment on that matter," she said when asked whether she regarded herself as a Chinese leader for Barisan Nasional (BN) and her views on a report by a Malay daily recently asking "What More The Chinese Want?".[...]
"I have worked in the Ministry of Education for the past 36 years, interacting with all races. I never saw myself as a Chinese per se but I see myself as a Malaysian.[...]
"My lack of proficiency in Mandarin does not mean I do not understand the Chinese education and its background. Information on the Chinese education system is available in English or Bahasa Malaysia and I can read or refer. I am proficient in Bahasa Malaysia and English while I have a set of officers who are experienced in such matters to assist," she said.