The Simpang Renggam PPBM MP said the current education system needed to be injected with new methods and should not be too focused on rankings and examinations.

“Among the things that need to be changed are the burden of teachers, who are required to do clerical work.

“They do not concentrate on the main thing, which is to teach.

“Students are also burdened with heavy bags because they have to carry a lot of books,” he said.

When interviewed on Astro Awani last night, Maszlee, 44, admitted that he did not expect to be given the education portfolio, which according to him was normally helmed by the more senior and experienced politicians.

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad was earlier expected to be education minister but changed his mind, in keeping with Pakatan Harapan’s manifesto that the PM should not hold any other ministerial post.

Born in Johor Bahru, Maszlee is a lecturer at the Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia (UIAM).

He also contributes to a number of think tanks and is often invited as a forum panellist or moderator to discuss issues relating to Islamic politics and the politics of the Middle East.

Maszlee obtained a bachelor’s degree from the Al al- Bayt University, Jordan, and pursued a master’s degree at the University of Malaya, both in the field of Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) and Usul al-Fiqh (Principles of Islamic jurisprudence).

He later furthered his studies at the School of Governments and International Affairs at University of Durham, United Kingdom, in 2007 and received a doctorate in the field of Good Governance in 2011.