Education Minister Hishamuddin Hussein Onn today came under fire from DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang today for keeping silent over the ‘disastrous results’ Malaysia scored in Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (Timss) survey for the year 2007.

Timss is an international assessment of mathematics and science knowledge of fourth to eighth grade (Standard Four to Form Two) students around the world.

Lim expressed his disappointment over the minister for keeping silent on the Timss findings regardless of the on-going controversy on the teaching of science and maths in English.

"Hishammuddin had not been shy in immediately going public about the previous findings of Timss in 2003," he said referring to when the minister came out with a public announcement on the matter on Dec 14, 2004.

Then, Malaysia was placed in tenth spot for the teaching of mathematics, scoring ahead of Australia, Britain, the US and New Zealand. For science, Malaysian students were placed in the 20 th spot, ahead of countries like Norway and Italy.

hishammuddin hussein pc 030408 03 "If Hishammuddin ( left ) could go public within 24 hours on the Timss 2003 findings, why is he maintaining an eerie silence of one whole month of the release of the 2007 findings?" he said.

He said the three assessments Malaysia had participated in for Timms 2007 had been a total disaster and this ‘was a direct reflection on the quality of his leadership as ‘education minister’.

For Timss 2007, Malaysia’s ranking dropped drastically to 20 th spot for the teaching of maths while for the teaching of science, the country came in at number 21.

"The proud statement of Hishammuddin in December 2004 has all turned to ashes.

"Did the cabinet give the Hishammuddin the ‘green-light’ to bury the disastrous Timss findings from public knowledge?" asked the Ipoh Timur MP.

‘Dream has to be shelved’

Lim further pointed out that Malaysia’s performance in maths and science teaching should be discussed by making public a national report highlighting the Timss’ Malaysian results and its findings.

After Malaysia's participation in Timss1999, Lim said that he had called on the government to have a strategy to place Malaysia among the world's top five or six nations in the teaching of mathematics and science.

lim kit siang parliament pc 201008 02 "(However) this dream has to be shelved until Hishammuddin can come out with a satisfactory explanation and solution for Malaysia's dismal performances in both mathematics and science in Timss 2007," Lim ( right ) stressed.

The teaching of science and maths was reverted to English from Bahasa Malaysia by former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad. The policy is geared at improving students’ proficiency in both the subjects.

Since its implementation in 2003, the move has been hotly debated by different quarters including the vernacular education movements and groups like the Malay Writers Association (Gapena).

Advocates of mother-tongue education have been urging the government to reverse its policy and have the two subjects taught in the national language.