Kajang, Feb 25 – Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on Monday said he had never issued any instruction to transfer the teacher who protested the implementation of the School-Based Assessment (PBS) system.
The deputy prime minister said he and the Education Ministry never had the intention to burden the teacher.
“I want to make it clear that I did not give any instruction to take action against any teacher, including those who are in the Suara Guru Masyarakat Malaysia (SGMM) group.
“I have decided that the best way for the ministry to overcome the PBS issue is to postpone its implementation, so that a study can be done to improve the system,” he told reporters at Surau Al-Falah, Kampung Bukit Dukung, here.
Muhyiddin, who is also the Education Minister, said this when asked whether the decision to transfer the teacher, Mohd Nor Izzat Mohd Johari, who acted as SGMM committee chairman, to a rural school in Pahang, would be withdrawn after the government decided to temporarily postponed the implementation of the PBS.
Muhyiddin said Mohd Nor Izzat’s transfer order probably involved district-level administration and that he was not aware of whether the decision was made due to other factors or simply because the teacher was being vocal in voicing his dissatisfaction about the system.
“We do not want to burden anyone, we are trying to be fair and we do not want to be seen as cruel.
“Teachers can voice out their opinions, yes they can, but they must do it according to proper procedures as stipulated in the circular,” he said.
Muhyiddin said the most important thing to do after the postponement was for the ministry to find suitable methods to ensure that when the time comes for the implementation to take place, it would be better for all quarters.
Yesterday, the ministry’s director-general Datuk Dr Khair Mohamad Yusof was reported as saying that teachers need not continue implementing the system until official statement about the matter was issued by the ministry.
He also said the ministry would also make public the results of the study to improve the PBS later.
– Bernama
