Union wants history experts from Sarawak for review committee

SIBU: The Sarawak Bumiputera Teachers Union ( KGBS) wants the Mini stry of Educat ion ( MOE) t o appoint h i story experts from Sarawak for the committee tasked to review and improve the history curriculum and textbooks.

KGBS president Ahmad Malie said this is to ensure more holistic content, particularly involving Sarawak.

“This will provide exact and the best coverage on the history of Sarawak in Malaysia,” he said yesterday in response to Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik’s statement that the ministry would set up a committee to review and improve the history curriculum and textbooks.

“KGBS fully supports MOE’s effort to form this committee. KGBS is of the stand that the time has come for history curriculum be reviewed and improved on with holistic facts, especially history involving Sarawak.”

He said having experts in history from Sarawak on the committee would ensure the contents “will be more holistic compared to historical facts contained in the current history curriculum”.

Ahmad pointed out that some in the peninsula still do not realise Sarawak is part of Malaysia.

“That is why, sometimes, we’ve heard those peninsula folk welcoming their Sarawakian friends with the expression ‘ Welcome to Malaysia’. This is indeed ironic for us Sarawakians,” he said.

“K GB Shop es that the improvement of the history curriculum will bring about history transformation, which is holistic without sidelining important facts on Sarawak, which appropriately be known comprehensively by school children in time to come.”

Masz lee had said the commit tee would work with existing committees, as well as academicians and experts on history in the country and abroad.

He said the ministry would also hold a series of discussions with historians to obtain the historical perspective with a fresher and more productive narrative.