PUTRAJAYA – New Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abd Kadir will focus on three main components – students, teaching staff, and administrators – to propel institutions of higher learning in the country.
He said that he and the Higher Education Ministry team will, at the same time, continue every existing policy that has been outlined by his predecessor, Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.
“I will be together with the students (and) lecturers because the component in universities is not just one group but the three core groups, firstly the students, (secondly) the teaching staff, and thirdly the administrators (which needs to be given emphasis),” he told reporters after clocking in to symbolise starting his official duty at the ministry here today.
His deputy, Datuk Mustapha Sakmud, who has been redesignated from the Human Resources Ministry, also began his first day of official duty today.
In Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s message during the first cabinet meeting yesterday after the cabinet reshuffle, Zambry said Anwar wanted the ministers to work as a team to develop the country.
“We work as a team not only in the context of ministries but also between ministries; there are matters related to certain assignments that require togetherness in the context between ministries.
“This is very important, especially in the context of education. The concept of higher education is vast, namely in public and private universities, technical and vocational education and training, polytechnics, and so on,” he said.
On Tuesday, Anwar reshuffled the cabinet for the first time since the formation of the unity government, which saw an increased number of cabinet ministers, one minister being dropped, the appearance of corporate and academic figures as new faces, and the reemergence of five former ministers.
The reshuffle also witnessed the exchange of portfolios of existing ministers and deputy ministers involving Zambry, formerly the foreign minister. Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan is now the foreign minister, while Mohamed Khaled is now the defence minister. – December 14, 2023