KUALA LUMPUR, July 15 (Bernama) -- Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin
Yassin today urged young leaders to treasure the Malaysian experience of
preserving political order in its journey to enhance democratic governance.
"This is the main lesson that we can draw from Malaysian metamorphosis. Our
55 years of experience in maintaining political stability, racial harmony and
economic affluence is replete with knowledge and wisdom that will guide us to
steer our nation in the path of sustained peace and prosperity," he said.
Muhyiddin said this in his speech ‘Malaysian Metamorphosis’ at the closing
ceremony of the Sixth Malaysian Student Leaders Summit here today.
He said it was the evolutionary process of economic, political and social
changes that made Malaysia stand out from the rest of the developing world.
Muhyiddin said Malaysia enjoyed rapid economic development without
sacrificing the institutions of democratic and constitutional government.
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MUHYIDDIN-YOUNG LEADERS 2 KUALA LUMPUR
"We allow competitive politics in our multiracial and multi-religious
society without sacrificing political stability. And most importantly we
continue to enjoy racial harmony and social cohesion while steering our
government and society in a more democratic direction," he said.
To achieve the democratic governance, he said the country needed highly
knowledgeable and talented workforce to propel the nation forward in the
knowledge and innovation-driven economy.
Muhyiddin, who is also the Education Minister said, therefore the government
must further improve the quality of education and concerted efforts are now
being done through a comprehensive review process.
"This will substantially change the way education is delivered to our
young generation. We will place more emphasis on students’ ability to develop
their thinking skills and enhance their creative talent, rather than simply
teaching them to memorise facts and figures," he said.
During a brief question and answer session, Muhyiddin was asked a few
questions by students regarding the teaching and learning of Science and
Mathematics in English (PPSMI) and the relevance of learning Moral Education in
this century.
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MUHYIDDIN-YOUNG LEADERS 3 (LAST) KUALA LUMPUR
In his reply, he said the PPSMI programme would have been better for the
students if the teachers were well trained and up to par.
Other factors involved the interest of the students, whether they could
accept the prospect of learning Science and Mathematics in English, and be ready
to face the challenges.
As for Moral Education, Muhyiddin said his ministry would upgrade the
programme in line with the current situation and would review the programme soon
to ensure a better programme for students.
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