Education Minister Maszlee Malik believes that certain vice-chancellors of local universities are leaking information to BN politicians.

He said this in response to former higher education minister Idris Jusoh accusing him of threatening the vice-chancellors during a recent meeting.

Maszlee, who denied issuing a threat, questioned how Idris knew about the meeting.

"Firstly, I find it strange how he (Idris) could have known about the meeting. Clearly, he got the information from certain vice-chancellors who are still in communication with him.

"Are these vice-chancellors working for the ministry or the opposition? That is a big question," he told journalists at the Parliament lobby this afternoon.

Maszlee said the meeting with the vice-chancellors was to present the new government's direction for the country's education system.

"I did not give them any warning, but I did make an offer for them to resign without facing action if they feel they cannot carry out the reform and autonomy agenda in bringing change to public universities," he added.

Maszlee also pointed out that some of these vice-chancellors had campaigned for BN in the last general election and punished lecturers who did not share the same political direction.

"For these people, I feel that they are not able to implement the reform agenda in public universities," he said.

However, Maszlee said the majority of vice-chancellors were professional in their conduct.