SEREMBAN: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has paid tribute to teachers, adding that the misdeeds of a handful should not diminish the sacrifices and commitment of the hundreds of thousands more in service.
The Prime Minister said the media should also be fair when reporting about "difficult" teachers as the number was small.
"That is why I always emphasise that media coverage should be fair.
"The majority of teachers are passionate, have sacrificed a lot and given extraordinary guidance to their students," he said at an event to appreciate teachers at the MBS Hall here on Thursday (July 27).
Reminiscing, Anwar said he only encountered one or two “problematic” teachers during his entire primary and secondary years.
Hundreds more, he said, would go out of their way to help students and would even stay back after school to give extra lessons.
"I remember when I was in the Malay and English debate teams while in Malay College Kuala Kangsar.
"The teachers would train us and listen (when we spoke) and were so passionate about teaching," he said, adding that he could never forget their sacrifices which included taking them for events and activities outside the school.
Anwar said it was also a proud moment for him when he became the Education Minister, his former teacher Tan Sri Abdul Rahman Arshad was the ministry's director-general.
"I remember this one occasion at Dewan Tunku Canselor in Universiti Malaya (UM).
"Whe he (Abdul Rahman) got up to deliver his speech, I got up too and this got many people confused as I was the minister and didn’t have to stand.
"But Tan Sri was my teacher and I got up because I respect him just like all my other teachers," he said, adding that he never follows protocol when it comes to his teachers.
Anwar also spoke at length about teachers Datuk Ghazali Hanafiah who taught him in Form Five and Lower Six and became director at the ministry's teacher's division; and Prof Datuk Dr Siddiq Fadzil, who is the father of Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek.
"When I was a student leader at UM, I was invited to speak at a national education symposium held at Maktab Perguruan Bahasa located just next to the university.
"In my speech, I was quite fiery in asking the government to, among others, set up a national university and that if the education minister who was also present did not announce this, the undergraduates and participants present would walk out of the hall.
"After the programme, Cikgu Ghazali, who was then the principal at the college, called me aside and advised me not to be so vociferous and that I should focus on my studies.
"I recall my friends made fun of me when they heard me repeatedly saying 'yes, teacher' to Cikgu Ghazali after what I said on stage," he said, adding he kept nodding respectfully as his former teacher spoke.
Anwar said he kept in touch with his teachers even after leaving school and each time they met, they always gave him good advice.
Also present at the event were Fadhlina and caretaker Negri Sembilan Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun.
