Rep urges state to reject termination of temporary teachers’ services
Bukit Assek assemblywoman Irene Chang was saddened by the news that the services of more than 200 local temporary teachers were being terminated in Sarawak.
In a press statement yesterday, she said this had come barely one month after the passing of former Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem, and the federal government had shown signs of reneging on the promised autonomies to Sarawak.
She said this termination of local teachers reportedly to be replaced by teachers from Peninsular Malaysia could not and should not be accepted by Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg.
She said such an act would undo the state’s hardfought effort to achieve some leeway on devolution of powers from Putrajaya. “This order together with the recent paintbrush matter has come so soon after the demise of our late CM. It shows Umno ( United Malays National Organisation) and Putrajaya are testing the resolve of our new CM and his cabinet to carry on the legacy of Adenan Satem on the devolution issue.”
Chang, who is also Democratic Action Party ( DAP) Sibu vice- chairperson and director of the state DAP Women’s Affairs’ Bureau, urged the new CM to stand firm and be alert against the wiles and tactics of the federal government to have its culture permeate Sarawak.
She said based on past dealings with West Malaysia, “our State Government should have learned there are instances when we should not even give an inch in order to avoid losing more of our rights and power to the Federal Government”.
In respect of the termination of services for local temporary teachers, she said the state government should hold fast to the 90: 10 ratio of local teachers to Peninsular Malaysia teachers.
“That was a good formula by the late CM to put the welfare of our locals first and our CM should ensure that what has been achieved so far will not be lost.” She said since the public was informed by Minister of Women, Welfare and Community Wellbeing Datuk Fatimah Abdullah that there were reportedly 988 vacancies for teachers which must be filled by March, there was no reason why the services of the 200-plus local temporary teachers should be terminated.
She said the reason purportedly given for the termination was that they had either failed in their interviews or they did not attend the interviews.
“I want the State Government to look into this as I have talked to a few of those teachers who have approached me. I was told they were not informed of the reason for their not getting through the interviews.”
She said there must be a valid reason and the state Education Department should demand details on the criteria needed for the temporary teachers to succeed in the interviews and to be subsequently confirmed in their teaching posts from the Ministry of Education.
She said all assistance should be rendered by the state government to these teachers to enable them to get confirmed in their posts.
“It is also time for the state government to realise the federal government has never had any intention to uphold the talk on devolution of power from Putrajaya to our state.
“All those agreements to hold talks on devolution on the five areas of education, welfare, housing, works and agriculture were merely to hold our state government to ransom in continuing to deliver Sarawak to Putrajaya as a fixed deposit.”
She said if the state government truly cared for the interest of Sarawak, it would stop the federal government from treating Sarawakians as gullible fools who would fall for promises which the federal government never intended to fulfil.
“The state government should allow a stronger opposition voice in the state to send a strong and clear message to Putrajaya that Sarawak and its people will not allow them to renege on their promises.”