KUALA LUMPUR: The government will revive the National Professor’s Council (MPN) as a new body that is truly independent of political influence to help the government build the nation.
Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law) Mohamed Hanipa Maidin (pix) said bodies like the MPN were not political platforms.
Speaking at the Dewan Rakyat sitting today, he said if the members wanted to be politicians, then they should discard their academic clothes.
Mohamed Hanipa was replying to a supplementary question from Rusnah Aluai (PH-Tangga Batu) who wanted to know if the government had plans to re-appoint all the ‘genuine’ professors who were not obsessed with any political parties so as to benefit from their expertise by including them in think-tanks.
“They (MPN members) should not be part of any political party, in fact, we do not encourage them to support Pakatan Harapan, as we feel they should be independent,” he said.
Mohamed Hanipa said the Cabinet made the decision to revive the MPN at a meeting on Nov 2.
Replying to the original question from Rusnah on the number of professors whose services were terminated, Mohamed Hanipa said the services of 28 MPN officers were terminated on Nov 15. — Bernama
