Gerakan president Dr Lim Keng Yaik today slammed local dailies for making him feel like an "idiot" by misinterpreting his comments on the much-debated proposal to teach Science and Mathematics in English.

"Chinese newspapers gave the impression that I was against (the proposal), Malay newspapers said that I was for it, and English newspapers suggested that I was an opportunist and chauvinist.

"You want to sell newspapers, it's fine, but not at my expense. People must be saying now that Keng Yaik is a mad doctor," he said.

The Gerakan leader, who is also primary industries minister, was speaking at a press conference after opening a forum entitled 'Education for the K-Economy' organised by the party-financed Socio-Economic Development and Research Institute (Sedar) in Kuala Lumpur.

Describing the coverage of his statements as "heart-sickening", Lim said: "We tried to take a simple non-racial approach to push down all racial sentiments. Even then, it is digested in different ways [by the newspapers] until I can't recognise it anymore.

"Don't take it out of context. You'll make me feel like an idiot, and I do feel like an idiot now," he said.

The minister said he was disappointed with the increasingly less room for public discussion and debate on issues these days.

'Keng Yaik is sarcastic today'

He then showed reporters a copy of his statement issued after the Gerakan central committee meeting on Aug 17 which stated that, among others, the language switch for the two subjects is unsuitable for primary students, especially those in rural areas.

"The first line (in the statement) says that 'there is definitely an urgent need for Malaysians to improve the standard of English and the learning of Science and Mathematics among our people', but newspapers reported that 'Gerakan says no to English'.

"If you (reporters) cannot understand [the statement], then there's definitely an urgent need to improve English standard in the country.... Yes, Keng Yaik is very sarcastic today," he said.

Following this, his assistants distributed the four-page statement to journalists.

Refusing to take many questions from reporters on the subject, he continued, "I give up already. When I clarify, you keep writing it differently... Jangan tanyalah, lagi cakap lagi salah (Don't ask; the more I say, the more mistakes there will be)."

Asked what he thought was the reason behind the different interpretations of Gerakan's statement, he said, "It is very obvious. They take different angles to attract a different readership."

Last month, the government proposed to teach Science and Mathematics in English in Standard One, Form One, and Lower Six starting next year.

However, many education groups, mostly vernacular ones, have opposed the move.

They argued that it was best for students to acquire basic knowledge in their respective mother tongues during the first six years of formal education.