KUALA LUMPUR: Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz today expressed her frustration with Pakatan Harapan for not allowing Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to also assume the role of education minister.
Rafidah, who was a Cabinet minister under Dr Mahathir’s first tenure as the premier, took PH leaders to task for sticking by its election manifesto.
"I'm sorry that Dr Mahathir didn't become education minister. When at first, he told me he was going to (become the education minister), I was so thrilled.
"I said 'That's very great sir, good,' and then two days later everybody objected.
"Why? Why? Why? Your stupid manifesto stopped you is it?",” she was quoted as saying by Malaysiakini at a panel event at the 'New Malaysia: Forging ahead together' panel at the 'Malaysia: A new dawn" conference.
Together with her on the panel were PH’s Damansara member of parliament Tony Pua; Sitawangsa MP Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad; and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia strategy and policy bureau chief Rais Hussin.
Rafidah said Dr Mahathir had at first shared with her his ideas on improving the Malaysian education system.
"I was so thrilled, I went back and told my kids, my God, this man at 93 has such ideas.”
Rafidah cautioned the new government that it risked losing power if it could not make key decisions by being encumbered by its manifesto pledges.
"Don't let your manifesto shackle you moving forward, you may end up as a one-term government, you know,” she was quoted as saying.