KUALA LUMPUR – The Education Ministry has confirmed the appointment of Datin Seri Nor Zamani Abdol Hamid as director-general effective June 22.
This comes just a day after ministry officials, speaking to The Vibes, denied that Nor Zamani, the wife of Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba, had been promoted to the top job from her deputy’s post.
In a statement, the ministry said Nor Zamani, who was deputy director-general in charge of policy and curriculum, is only the third woman to be made director-general, and the 18th person in the post.
“We are confident that Nor Zamani is able to carry out the responsibilities of the leader of the education service, and subsequently, further improve the ministry’s performance.”
It said Nor Zamani began her career in education in 1986 as head of the A-Levels Department at Kolej Tunku Kurshiah, Negri Sembilan.
In her 35 years of service, she served various organisations under the ministry.
Besides deputy director-general, Nor Zamani was also director of the Curriculum Development Division and Private Education Division.
She graduated with a bachelor’s degree (hons) in sociology and anthropology, before obtaining her master’s in education from Universiti Malaya.
The previous director-general, Datuk Habibah Abdul Rahim, retired in April, having taken up the position in January last year.
Nor Zamani was appointed deputy director-general last November.
Yesterday, an aide to Nor Zamani told The Vibes that she was still deputy director-general, and that the ministry had yet to fill the vacancy for the top post.
Nor Zamani was only assuming the role temporarily, she said.
An officer from the ministry’s corporate communications unit also said no appointment had been made, and that the press would be informed when the post was taken up.
Meanwhile, a ministry spokesman had said claims circulating online of Nor Zamani’s promotion were false.
Following the publication of the article, the ministry’s corporate communications head Datuk Syed Azidi Syed Abdul Aziz chided The Vibes for purportedly lacking journalistic ethics by not identifying the officer who provided the comments.
In a series of messages sent to a media WhatsApp group, he also alluded to the writer of the article as dishonourable. – The Vibes, July 2, 2021
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