JAKARTA (Jan 11): "Thank You", that was the terse response by Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik to former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who is constantly trolling him on social media.

Maszlee also hoped Najib who is active with his comments on Facebook and Twitter, would help the Education Ministry in making Malaysia a reading nation by 2030.

The Education Minister said the Ministry had decided on making the period from 2021 to 2030 as the National Reading Decade, aimed at making Malaysia a reading nation by 2030.

Maszlee who is on a working visit to Indonesia, commented on the former premier’s recent "troll" on Facebook over the trip, saying that he would do his best in leading the Ministry that was once led by Najib.

"I'm still in politics ... I'm not going to betray the country and people," he said.

Najib, who had the infamy of leading Barisan Nasional to its first defeat in the general election last year and is facing a flurry of corruption and abuse of power charges, is seen as a regular “provocateur” against the Pakatan Harapan Government Cabinet Ministers.

He also had a bone to pick with the Education Minister over the  “black shoe” issue.

Maszlee had in July stated that students in Government and Government-aided schools must wear only black shoes to school. The ruling will be fully enforced in 2021.

Earlier today, Maszlee had met his Indonesian counterpart Muhadjir Effendy. They had discussions with plans to set up branch campuses of Malaysian public universities in Indonesia.