Radzi tells Anwar to stick to the facts, get numbers of SPM absentees right

KUALA LUMPUR: An Opposition MP tells Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to get his facts right on the number of Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) absentees.

Former education minister Datuk Radzi Mohd Jidin (PN-Putrajaya) said the prime minister had incorrectly used figures of those who were absent for SPM during the 2022 session.

“During his (Anwar) speech at a dialogue session held at a university recently, he claimed there were 30,000 SPM candidates who were absent from the examination.

“When you say 30,000, it is a huge figure but it is wrong to provide false information, so let’s stick to the facts.

“If you look at the news reports based on the statistics issued by the Examinations Board, it showed that there were only 14, 858 students who did not take their exams,” he said in a press conference at the Parliament lobby on Wednesday (June 14).

Radzi also dismissed claims that he did not perform his job well and decided to stay away from mentioning any matters involving education to avoid politicising issues related to it.

“I have refrained from saying anything related to education because I do not want it to be politicised,” he said.

On June 13, Anwar reportedly took a jab at Radzi’s performance as the education minister during the Perikatan administration after 30,000 students were recorded to be absent during the 2022 SPM examination.