ACS alarmed by Maszlee’s call on Islamic religious teachers

KUCHING: The Association of Churches in Sarawak (ACS) is deeply concerned with the recent statement made by Minister of Education Dr Maszlee Malik in Parliament appealing to the Ustaz and Ustazah from Kelantan, Trengganu and Kedah who are teaching in schools in Sabah and Sarawak not to return to Peninsular Malaysia and make Sabah and Sarawak their Islamic propagation field (medan dakwah).

In a press release yesterday, ACS said religious freedom is safeguarded and guaranteed to the people of Sabah and Sarawak regardless of race under the Inter Governmental Committee Report ( IGC Report) 1962, Malaysia Agreement 1963 ( MA63) and enshrined in the Federal Constitution.

It also said the majority of the people of Sarawak are nonMuslims and the Sarawak Constitution provides for a secular government and society where Islam is not the state religion of Sarawak.

“It is clearly stated in the IGC Report that there should be no application to the Borneo states of any federal requirements regarding religious education and the IGC report also states that Borneanisation of the Public Services in the Borneo states is a major objective of policy and special arrangements will be necessary to secure this objective and to protect the legitimate interests of the native peoples of Sabah and Sarawak.

“Hence the statement by the Education Minister to make Sabah and Sarawak a battlefield for propagation of Islam is not in the spirit of the MA63 and appears to be sanctioning Islamic religious teachers from Peninsular Malaysia to promote Islamisation and propagation to local students in non- religious schools in Sabah and Sarawak.

“If the West Malaysian teachers were to make Sabah and Sarawak their medan dakwah, it could make the atmosphere in and outside schools intimidating and the local students and parents may feel uneasy and no proper learning can take place.

“Whilst the practice of sending teachers from Peninsular Malaysia to serve in Sabah and Sarawak may alleviate teacher shortage in the interim, teachers who are public servants should not be used as a tool to promote Islamisation in Sabah and Sarawak,” added the press statement.

The press statement also commented that after 55 years since the formation of Malaysia, the promises and assurance of Borneanisation of the public service of Sabah and Sarawak have yet to be fulfilled.

“There would be sufficient qualified Islamic religious teachers from Sabah and Sarawak by now to teach in local schools if the government had honoured their promise of Borneanisation of the public service in Sabah and Sarawak,” said the statement.

Thus ACS calls upon the federal government to stop using public servants or teachers to carry out any form of Islamisation in Sabah and Sarawak and to honour their promises and undertakings of religious freedom and Borneanisation of the public service as safeguarded in the IGC report, MA63 and the Federal Constitution.

ACS also affirmed its commitment towards promoting harmony and unity among all the people of Sarawak and Malaysia.