KENINGAU: The State Education Department has strongly reminded teachers and education staff in the state to refrain from making sensitive remarks touching on race, religion and region as they could destabilize the country and the state.
Its director, Datuk Jame Alip, said stern action will be taken against those who make racist statements in the social media, including Facebook.
“The department will not compromise with those out to destroy the close relationship and unity among the people here, including educators,” he told reporters after the National Education Program: Malaysia Di Sini Lahirnya Sebuah Cinta for educators in the Upper Interior zone held at the Regional Library Auditorium here yesterday.
He said teachers and educators in this state irrespective of their region, race or religion are required to think and act in a more mature and accommodating manner.
“Do not incite or destabilize the communal harmony in the country, and Sabah, in particular, for your personal interest, either in anger or through provocative actions, or through self-promotion to be a hero of your ethnicity, race, or religion.
“If there are teachers or staff of the Education Department in this state who try to stoke the fires of racial, religious and territorial sentiment, stern action will be taken under existing existing procedures in the interest of justice and harmony of all races, religions and nation,” he stressed.
Jame said stern action against education staff who make negative statements relating to the state and the people which can affect the unity and integration, through postings in social sites.
He said, as qualified educators, these things should not happen, and if there are any issues relating to education, they should submit whatever grouses they have to the higher authority in writing and not use the social networking sites to express what is hidden in their hearts.
He was commenting on the action of a teacher in the interior who allegedly tried to belittle local Sabah teachers through the social media recently.
Action would be taken to ensure that in the future no educators would make a statement according to their whims and fancy as it could only damage their own reputation and that of the the department.
Jame added that a report on the teacher has been sent to the Education Ministry for further action.
In addition, he also reminded educators who are not from this state not to differentiate the learning standard here with their own state, as it is not only detrimental but could also affect the good relationship between the community and colleagues.
He said, as an educator, they must always respect the local culture no matter wherever they are assigned.
Jame said, any teacher assigned here should have an open mind in regard to the diversity of races and religious beliefs that has been able to co-exist in unity as one community despite the many differences.
He also strongly agree that Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Haji Aman, should be called the Father of Sabah Development Modernisation and Transformation for his commitment to bring a lot of changes to the people and the state.
“Since becoming the Chief Minister, Musa has brought many changes, especially in terms of development that will benefit the people and the state, and I fully support the title of the Father of Development Modernization and Transformation of the state to be appropriately accorded to him,” he said.
Earlier in his speech at the program, he stressed that teachers and staff of education department in this state should consider themselves as a Malaysian teacher.
“There should not exist the notion of, I am Sabah teacher, Sarawak teacher or teacher from the states of the peninsula with their different perceptions of the region, race and religion, but as teachers that should think positively as a Malaysian teacher.
“I want teachers who are working in this state to consider themselves as Malaysian Teachers and dismiss perceptions that could destroy the unity of the various races and religions existing in this country,” he said.
Jame urged teachers to maintain harmony and unity and to always be aware of the sensitivity of ethnicity, race, religion and region.
He said Sabah is a role model of unity and ethnicity harmony in the country and the epitome of the 1Malaysia concept.
“History on the sacrifices of our colleagues from Peninsular Malaysia in the defence of the state cannot be denied either, in defending the sovereignty or developing education in the state,” he said.
According to him, the country has over the years made various changes and transformations, both in terms of political, economic, social and education. And, during this period we have become a sovereign and independent nation, free from the shackles of colonialism.
“All this is the result of the struggles of our nationalist leaders since pre-independence time up to the present to achieve full sovereignty in all matters pertaining to administration, rule and determining the direction of the country,” he said.
Also attending the program were the State Education Department Head of the School Management Sector, Raisin Saidin, Head of Quality Assurance Sector, Aslie Sahat, Head of Evaluation and Examination Sector, Mohd Zaini Yanin, Head of the Islamic Education Sector, Mohammed Zaki Abdul Ghani, District Education Officers, Masly Wahip (Keningau), Haji Kaipin Rusmin (Tambunan) and Betty Leong (Nabawan) education staff and teachers from the Upper Interior zone.