Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today said basic aspects of the national education policy do not need to be changed by any education minister helming the ministry.

Ahmad Zahid, who is also Home Minister, said racial diversity was not an excuse for this critical sector to be plunged into confusion merely to satisfy the demands of the different communities.

“We do not want to see changes in the policy just to please the demands of certain quarters, placing a burden on the students,” he said at the closing ceremony of National Islamic Consultative Council (MPI) assembly in Cyberjaya today.

He said every education minister must resist trying to set up his personal legacy but must follow existing policies in drawing up plans.

“Leaders and ministers change but education cannot be made played with as it would have negative effects not just on the students but also on the nation,” he said.

On the MPI, Ahmad Zahid said its members who comprised people of varied backgrounds and expertise including politicians, should set aside their personal ideologies and work together to draw up initiatives which the government could implement for the sake of the religion and people.

“There are those who think politics is everything, but I want to stress that politics should be a means of strengthening religion, not to be used to boost one’s own political interests,” he said.

The assembly resulted in 30 resolutions and to ensure they were implemented, Ahmad Zahid announced that the MPI would be made a secretariat with heads from seven clusters made its permanent members.

He said this was to translate the government’s commitment to realising the implementation of the resolutions.

- Bernama