PUTRAJAYA: Datuk Dr Khair Mohamad Yusof (pix) is the new Education director-general, replacing Tan Sri Abd Ghafar Mahmud who retired on Dec 6.
Dr Khair was the Education deputy director-general.
Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced Dr Khair's appointment during a retirement dinner held for Abd Ghafar here on Monday.
Muhyiddin said one of Abd Ghafar's biggest contributions to the ministry was his work on the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025.
"We have not just met our targets for the first 100 days of the blueprint's plans, but have gone above and beyond.
"It was also during Abd Ghafar's tenure that other transformative programmes were started, such as initiatives for Orang Asli and rural children as well as the Schools-in-Hospitals programme; all of these are already showing good results.
"Abd Ghafar has also volunteered to be the advisor for Guru Muda 1Malaysia, and I immediately accepted his offer as young teachers can greatly benefit from his guidance," he said in his speech at the dinner.
Muhyiddin added that the ministry had nominated Abd Ghafar as a board member for Unesco's International Institute for Education Planning.