Ex-minister disputes PM’s claims on 30,000 absent SPM exam students

Former Malaysian education minister Mohd Radzi Md Jidin has countered Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s claims regarding the number of absent SPM candidates during last year’s national examinations. Mohd Radzi pointed out that local news reports indicated 14,858 students were absent, not the 30,000 cited by the prime minister during a dialogue session with undergraduates at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.

Anwar had accused Mohd Radzi of being responsible for the high number of SPM student absenteeism post-pandemic due to neglect. However, Mohd Radzi, an Opposition lawmaker, questioned the source of the 30,000 figure during a news conference at Parliament.

The Bersatu MP for Putrajaya denied neglecting SPM students during his time as minister. He stated that he had taken care of the students, ensuring they had sufficient funds to attend exam halls. Mohd Radzi also emphasised the importance of not politicising education.

“Education is important for our kids. We should never politicise education. That is why I’m staying away from commenting on any initiatives by the current minister.”

Anwar had claimed that the issue of absent students only came to light when Fadhila Sidek assumed office. However, Mohd Radzi maintained that he had done nothing wrong and that the 30,000 figure was misleading.

“The massive 30,000 students sounded like a big thing to the public’s ears, but it’s wrong to give away an incorrect number. Let’s only talk about facts,” he said.