COMMENT | Dr Mahathir Mohamad is right. National schools had become "religious schools" and many must be glad that the prime minister intends to correct the situation.

Mahathir certainly hit the right note, as many groups had expressed concerns on this ‘religious’ over-indulgence in the current school syllabus.

Speaking at a dinner for Sultan Abdul Hamid College alumni members in Kuala Lumpur on Friday, the prime minister said that "someone changed the curriculum in the school, and now the national school has become a religious school.

"They are all learning about the religion of Islam and not learning anything else. And as a result, the graduates or the people who are passing in the school are not very conversant in things that are useful for them to get jobs, but they are very good ulama," he said.

Two things are interesting to note in this part of the prime minister’s speech.

One, Mahathir mentioned that "someone" changed the curriculum. Apparently, the prime minister did not agree with the "someone" whom he did not name.

Call that his trademark flair if you will. Mahathir does have the habit of not naming those he criticises publicly, unless he finds it absolutely necessary to do so.

What must be asked is whether that “someone” was the education minister during Mahathir’s first tenure as prime minister.

Who's responsible?

It would not be way off to conclude that that surely could not have taken place during that time, for Mahathir would not have allowed it. Then again...