KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 19 ― Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad left his audience in stitches tonight after explaining that one has to die first before having schools named after oneself.

"I normally don’t allow my name to be attached to any significant things,” he said during the

Dr Mahathir Mohamad Leadership Series event here.

"In fact the first thing I did when I became Minister of Education, was to stop the practise of naming schools after ministers.”

Dr Mahathir had served as education minister between 1974 and 1977, before changing portfolio to trade and industry.

"So now you don’t find anybody naming schools after ministers. I promised them that they can have the schools named after them, but for that they must die first,” he added, earning thunderous applause from guests.

Dr Mahathir explained that such a move was unjust and smacked of self-glorification.

He was speaking at Malaysian Institute of Management’s (MIM) Inaugural Dr Mahathir Mohamad Leadership Series at Hotel Istana here.

After Pakatan Harapan (PH) won Putrajaya this year, Dr Mahathir had again taken the education portfolio.

He however let go of the post just days afterwards, abiding by PH’s election manifesto which prevents a prime minister from holding any ministerial portfolio.

First-term Simpang Renggam MP and former academic Maszlee Malik from Dr Mahathir’s Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia’s was later named education minister.