PUTRAJAYA: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has denied claims that Malaysia is considering recruiting teachers from Singapore to teach English.
The Prime Minister said the proposal, meant to be a volunteer programme, was also aimed at boosting English proficiency and improving bilateral relations between Malaysia and Singapore.
"Listen first. Sometimes, the 'three-minute experts' will simply make (claims) on social media and all their facts are wrong.
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"The assumption is that we are appointing English teachers from Singapore. That is wrong," he said in his speech at the Madani Aspiration Gathering at Putrajaya International Convention Center (PICC) here on Friday (June 14).
"Recently, I met with Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and discussed several matters.
"(These included the possibility of) establishing an aid scheme from Singapore or getting volunteers, fully paid by the Singaporean government, to go to rural areas, villages and the interior of Sabah and Sarawak to teach English," he clarified.
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On Wednesday (June 12), Anwar and Wong met to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral relations.
Anwar said that he was subsequently criticised by certain quarters for disrespecting local teachers by trying to bring in teachers from across the Causeway.
"This is purely to strengthen ties between our countries," he stressed.
