PM Anwar urges Malaysians to focus on improving education standards

KUALA LUMPUR - Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has urged all Malaysians to focus on raising education standards based on good core values and virtues to create knowledgeable individuals and academicians with strong virtues and noble principles.

"No less important is the goal and meaning of education stressed by the current Education Minister, which is to draw strength from religion.

"...What we want to raise is people with confidence, values and virtues as attempts by other countries have managed to inculcate values in education,” he said during his speech after watching a play entitled "Cikgu Anda” here tonight, adding that he wanted the national language to be used as the official language and as a language of knowledge.

"We also need to put effort in raising the discipline of knowledge so that we can compete (with other countries),” he said, stressing that the focus should be a movement and not focus on any one figure.

The play "Cikgu Anda” was inspired by Anwar’s contribution to the field of education and was adapted to highlight Yayasan Anda Akademik (YAA), a private educational institution founded by a group of local university graduates and headed by Anwar in March 1971.

The play also serves to tell the struggles of the foundation in helping students, especially those in the rural areas and less fortunate to further their studies.

The play is produced by Persatuan Alumni Yayasan Anda Akademik Malaysia (PAYAAM) with the cooperation of Persatuan Melodi Kenangan Artis dan Penggiat Seni Malaysia (PEMEKAR).

In the foreword of the play’s programme, Anwar expressed his appreciation to the entire production team for being able to put on a performance relating to the setting up of the foundation for public viewing in

He said the foundation was created based on the awareness of youth and student leaders from Universiti Malaya, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Institut Teknologi Kebangsaan (now known as Universiti Teknologi Malaysia), Lembah Pantai Islamic Teaching College and the Lembah Pantai Language Teaching College.

The two-and-a-half-hour play is the original idea of PAYAAM chairman Datuk Dr Suhaimi Ibrahim, featuring veteran and new actors including Datuk Ahmad Tarmimi Siregar, Hairi Safwan, Abon, Najua P. Ramlee, Sarah Fazny and Eira Sabariah.

"Cikgu Anda” tells of a group of poor students who did not do well in their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examinations but are determined to further their studies at the Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia level at YAA. Cikgu Anwar, a co-founder of the foundation, is also a teacher there. - BERNAMA