INTERVIEW | Rather than seeing it as a problem to be solved, newly-minted Education Minister Maszlee Malik believes in harnessing the strengths of the present disparate education system.

His political inexperience notwithstanding - the former academician joined politics just three months ago - he is confident in being able to preserve the present system while expanding on the ways schools can work together for good.

In his first interview since being named for the ministerial post last Friday, Maszlee spoke about his plans to “connect” different schools as well as his consultative approach to governance.

“I am not here to impose regimentation or rulings on schools.

“Whatever school streams that we have, my vision is to try and connect them, to bridge them with one another.

“We want to celebrate our differences, we want to make it as a strength rather than as a weakness, and make it a unifying factor rather than a dividing factor,” Maszlee told Malaysiakini when met at his home...