MALAYSIA, TIMOR-LESTE SIGN MOU ON EDUCATION

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 21 (Bernama) -- Malaysia and Timor-Leste Wednesday signed
a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) as part of establishing a network to promote
cooperation in areas of common interest in education.

Deputy Education Minister Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi and Timor-Leste Ambassador
to Malaysia Juvencio de Jesus Martins inked the pact at a ceremony held in
Parliament building here.

Earlier, Mohd Puad and Martins held a private meeting with Education
Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also deputy prime minister, at the
latter's office in Parliament.

Mohd Puad told the media that among others, the MoU focused on networking
involving schools and institutions, technical and vocatonal training, as well as
educational planning and research.

"One of the areas that we may consider is the training of teachers. I was
told that in Timor-Leste, they don't have any institute for teacher
training...so, what we can do, maybe, is accept a few teachers from Timor-Leste
to be trained here," he said.

"Most Timor-Leste people can speak Bahasa Indonesia (the Indonesian
language) and it should not be a problem for us to train their teachers here in
Malaysia. We can also consider helping the Goverment of Timor-Leste to set up
its institute for teacher training," added Mohd Puad.

Meanwhile, he said that the ministry was still waiting for a report from the
relevant authorities, including the Teachers Training Institute, over an
allegation by a woman that she was discriminated against, for being too fat.

Joanna Gilbert Asson, who weighs 110kg, said she was accepted for a
post-graduate course at the Teachers Training College Rajang in the East
Malaysia state of Sarawak, but was later told by a senior college official that
she was too fat to become a teacher.
-- BERNAMA