KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 11 — The Education Ministry will ensure the national history curriculum remains balanced and free from political narratives, Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh said today.
He said, prior to the curriculum being introduced next year in stages, the drafting of a relevant and balanced curriculum is conducted through a transparent process involving historians, academicians and institutions such as the National Archives, alongside engagements with educators, communities and professional bodies.
“All matters related to the curriculum must undergo due process. The curriculum must also remain balanced and free from political narratives, this is the position of the ministry,” Wong told the Parliament during the Minister’s Question Time.
He added that each curriculum is implemented for a fixed period and reviewed when necessary, but will ensure that all are aligned with the National Education Philosophy.
Wong was responding to Amanah’s Hulu Langat MP Mohd Sany Hamzan, who proposed that major political events — including Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s sacking in 1998 and the Bersih rallies — be incorporated into the History syllabus.
Mohd Sany said exposing students to more recent political developments would help the younger generation better understand Malaysia’s modern political landscape, in addition to learning about national leaders who contributed to independence and nation-building.
“The modern political landscape should be known. This includes the sacking of Anwar and the birth of the Reformasi movement in 1998, alongside the Bersih rallies, which can be part of a module on elections in the country.
“The same goes for the Sheraton Move and also the Internal Security Act,” Sany said.
Anwar, who is now prime minister, was dismissed from the government in 1998, a move that sparked the Reformasi movement and significantly reshaped Malaysia’s political landscape.
