PUTRAJAYA, Sept 27 — Education Minister Maszlee Malik today shed tears while talking about special education at the Special Education International Conference (SEIC) here.

Maszlee, who was present to officially close the conference, expressed concern over whether his aspiration to empower education for special needs students could be realised.

The minister was seen wiping away his tears several times, especially when he spoke about the success of a Sabahan athlete, Eddy Bernard, a student of Sekolah Menengah Beluran who won the gold medal for the 100 meters (cerebral palsy) in the Para Asean Games.

"Cerebral palsy did not stop Eddy from training and competing to become a world class athlete. One of my dreams is to see that all children with special needs will never feel they are unwanted in this world. So, please my colleagues and my friends in the Education Ministry, please do not fail our children,” he said.

Speaking to  the media after officially closing the conference, Maszlee said the five year mandate given to the government is too short to ensure the success of all policies concerning special education, and it would be harder if the implementer does not share the same aspiration as the ministry, its minister and the government.

"The ending of all policies is the success in terms of implementation. If the dream stops at only me, the ministry and the government, without the same aspiration at the implementers’ level, then we will see failure on the part of the implementation,” he said.

"My greatest worry is not with me, but with the officers in the ministry, whether they can share my passion,” he said. — Bernama