THAM YUN FOOK
N19 LIKAS STATE ASSEMBLYMAN
ON THE ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION THAT KPM WILL RECRUIT 20,000 NEW TEACHERS TO MEET NATIONAL EDUCATION NEEDS
Announcement by the Federal Minister of Education that the Ministry of Education Malaysia (KPM) will recruit 20,000 new teachers to meet the nation’s education needs. This large-scale recruitment is crucial to ensuring the sustainability of the national education system, particularly in preparation for the implementation of the Malaysia Education Blueprint (RPM) 2026–2035.
However, this announcement must not be viewed merely in terms of numbers. In the context of Sabah, which has long faced a shortage of teachers and a high rate of transfers out of the state, priority should be given to recruiting Sabah-born graduates to serve in their home state.
In line with the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), Sabah is not merely a recipient of federal policies but a founding partner of the Federation of Malaysia. Therefore, any national policy that directly impacts the education system in Sabah must be formulated and implemented with meaningful involvement from the State of Sabah, including in the recruitment and selection of teachers.
Accordingly, I firmly urge the Ministry of Education Malaysia to appoint senior officers from the Sabah State Education Department (JPNS) as well as the Sabah Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation as permanent members of the Teacher Recruitment Selection Panel at the KPM level.
It must be acknowledged that, to date, senior officers from Sabah have rarely been involved in the selection committees for admission into the Institute of Teacher Education (IPG) or in teacher recruitment processes. This situation is clearly inconsistent with the spirit of MA63 and reflects a highly centralised approach that is no longer relevant to current realities.
If KPM is truly committed to the full and substantive implementation of MA63, rather than a symbolic one, structural corrections in the decision-making process can no longer be delayed. Sabah’s involvement in the selection panel is not a privilege, but a rightful entitlement that must be respected.
I hope that KPM will take a clear and courageous stand to rectify this imbalance in the interest of regional justice, effective education policy, and the future of Sabah’s children. I also urge the Sabah Minister of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, who is well known as a leader of exceptional courage and conviction to bring this matter directly to the attention of KPM.
