Check your facts before speaking
Fatimah clarifies rejection of teacher’s application, puzzled why Chong creates issue out of the case
KUCHING: Make it a point to approach the right government agency i f you have doubts about certain issues instead of making allegations against the government.
Minister of Welfare, Women and Community Wel lbeing Datuk Fatimah Abdullah, gave this message when clarifying an online report headlined ‘Why is the Sarawak Islamic Department fi ltering non-Muslim teachers?’
On Thursday, state DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen was reported to have urged Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg to explain why Jais had to fi lter and approve applications from non- Muslims who wished to become teachers.
In the report, Chong said Wong Wang Yuen, who wanted to become a maths teacher, had her wish dashed after Jais rejected her application a month ago.
According to Chong, t he applicant had a master’s degree in arithmetic preparation from Sultan Idris Education University. She graduated in 2013.
“On the case raised by state DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen, the applicant applied for a job advertised by Sarawak Islamic Religious Department (Jais), and as such her application had to be vetted by Jais.
“It was Jais that put up the job vacancies and of course the agency will do the vetting. What Jais advertised is a specialised job whereby the applicant, if successful, will be taken by Jais and not to be posted as a teacher elsewhere.
“The application was rejected because the applicant is not suitable for the post. It is about job matching and has nothing to do with race,” said Fatimah.
However, she regretted that some quarters with ill intentions had misunderstood the issue and capitalised on it, an act she feared would create racial tension.
She assured the press that Jais had done a background check on the application and confirmed that the applicant did not meet what the department required.
“We are puzzled by Chong’s allegation because everything is clearly stated on the website,” she said, adding the government would not want to see job mismatch either.
It was Jais that put up the job vacancies and of course the agency will do the vetting. Datuk Fatimah Abdullah Minister of Welfare, Women and Community Wellbeing
According to Jais, the post adver t i sed received 4 ,4 3 8 applications from Jan 12 to 27.
The department also made it clear that it was recruiting only two persons.
“The moral of the story is, there is an explanation to every question. Approach the right agency for an answer and do not make nonissue into a racial issue. This is unhealthy for our multi-racial and multi-religious society.”
She said Chong should have come to her for an explanation rather than going to the press to fuel suspicion against the government.
“If there is any problem, let us know so that we can get to the root of the problem. We can explain. We hope Chong will be more careful when issuing statement like this.
“He (Chong) is either confused or he did it on purpose, or that he is just ignorant. Our doors are always open; anyone can call us for clarification.”
Fatimah said Chong’s allegations against the government would mi s le ad t he c ommu ni t y, particularly those who had no clue about the difference between erecruitment and Jobs Malaysia.
KUCHING: The number of teenage pregnancy cases in Sarawak has declined by 14.7 per cent - only 2,481 cases in 2016 against 2,909 cases in 2015.
In terms of age groups, 52 per cent (1,293 cases) are those between 15 and 17 years old, 44 per cent (1,084 cases) from 18 to 19 years old and 104 cases (four per cent) from 10 to 14 years old.
“Despite the decline to the number of cases, Sarawak remains the second highest in terms of teenage pregnancy cases,” Minister of Welfare, Women and Community Wellbeing Datuk Fatimah Abdullah told a press conference after chairing the One Stop Teenage Pregnancy Committee (OSTPC) meeting here yesterday.
OSTPC started operation in October 2014 and has 12 divisons in Sarawak, headed by the respective residents.
Despite the decline to the number of cases, Sarawak remains the second highest in terms of teenage pregnancy cases. By dropping out of school at the tender age of 10 to 15 years old, what would their qualifications be when they opt to apply for jobs in the future. Datuk Fatimah Abdullah, Minister of Welfare, Women and Community Wellbeing
Fatimah also noted that Kapit had the highest teenage pregnancy cases with 232 (14.1 per cent) in 2016.
She also revealed that Iban teenagers recorded the highest number with 1,257 cases which contributed to 52 per cent of the total 2,481 cases in 2016, followed by Malays ( 518 cases) and Bidayuhs (209 cases).
Another major concern to the OSTP committee is that 94.3 per cent of all the cases in 2016 involved teenagers who have dropped out of school and 54.1 per cent still unmarried.
“By dropping out of school at the tender age of 10 to 15 years old, what would their qualifications be when they opt to apply for jobs in the future.”
Fatimah asked, adding that this would also eliminate the need for the teens to be overly dependent on their spouse.
Besides providing a holistic system to provide a teenage mother and her child welfare assistance, OSTPC also advocated against the occurance of a second pregnancy among teenagers.
OSTPC would strenghten the process and procedures of the committee through a Standard Operating Procedure ( SOP) this year, which would be distributed to all OSTPC members and community leaders in each division.
“I am glad that the committee has completed the SOP which will act as a guide for the new officers or residents in each division,” said Fatimah.