Sabah negotiating with KL on teachers institutes
KOTA KINABALU: The closure of the teachers training institutes (IPG) in Keningau and Tawau is not final yet, said Education and Innovation Minister Datuk Dr Yusof Yacob.
He said his ministry was still studying and negotiating with the federal government regarding the issue, especially on the autonomous power over education in Sabah.
He said it was the priority of his ministry to make sure that education in the state was organized and well-implemented so that children in the state could be trained and taught in optimum environment and facilities.
Yusof admitted that currently the ministry faced a lot of problems, however the ministry needed to solve these problems and it was the ministry's goal to do so.
The issue was raised by the Kemabong assemblyman Jamawi Ja'far, yesterday when debating the Sabah Budget 2019 on Monday, claiming that such closure should not happen as Sabah still needed local teachers.
Jamawi reiterated the need to empower youths, especially through education, as they are the determinants of the nation and its future.
On the issue of 812 assistant teachers in the state whose appointments were discontinued, Yusof said he would bring the matter to the federal government for negotiation and to look for the best solution for the people involved.
Yusof was met after the launching of Malaysia-Indonesia Essay Poetry Book, ‘Kemilau Satu Langit' and Asean Level Essay Poem Writing Competition 20182019 held at the Shangri La Kota Kinabalu Hotel in Bandaran Berjaya here yesterday.
The book, ‘Kemilau Satu Langit' is a collection of poems by Malaysian and Indonesian authors.
He said the effort of organizing such event was welcomed as the event was one of the ways to bring the Asean countries, particularly in Singapore, Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar which have people who speak the Malay language, closer through similarity, culture and poetry.
Yusof also lauded such effort as it ensured the continuity of the Malay language especially with the current challenges of young generations of having simplified language and the internet.
“If we, the language lovers do not develop the language, it (Malay language) may go extinct one day. So, we have to go ahead. It (the language) symbolizes our wealth in this region which brings togetherness that makes us more tolerant and understanding with one another and we support this to be continued in the future,” he said.
Also present in the event were the Indonesian Consul General, Krishna Djelani, Majlis Bahasa dan Sastera Sabah president Datuk Mohd Arifin Mohd Arif, Institute of Language and Literature Sabah director Asmiah Ajamain and Badan Bahasa & Sastera Sabah (Bahasa) president Datuk Jasni Matlani.