Calls to standardise regional housing allowance for teachers grow louder

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Jisin Nyud

SIBU: Teachers unions in the state support a proposal urging the Education Ministry to standardise the regional housing allowance for teachers in Sabah and Sarawak.

Sabah assemblyman Datuk Samsudin Yahya (BN-Sekong) had recently proposed a review of the rate as the present allowance had aggrieved teachers.

Sarawak Teachers’ Union (STU) said it was high time for the allowance to be reviewed.

“The public service commission had promised to look into the allowances of government servants but until now there has been no positive news from them.

“In fact, most of the allowances for civil servants, especially those for teachers, have not been reviewed for the past 25 years.

“STU agrees with the idea for the Education Ministry to conduct a review to standardise the regional housing allowance for teachers in Sabah and Sarawak serving outside their hometown,” its president Jisin Nyud told The Borneo Post.

Jisin opined all allowances ought to be reviewed.

Ahmad Malie

“Talking about allowance, even to be promoted to become school principals and headmasters, many teachers feel that it is not worth it as compared to an ordinary teacher for the responsibility and risk is not that high.

“In secondary schools, for example, the allowance of a principal is only RM150 whereas senior assistants get RM120.

“To make the matter worse, the housing allowance of principals will be half of what other principals or headmasters receive if they are in boarding schools and the quarters are provided [sic].”

In this connection, many teachers thought they were on the losing side should they be promoted, he added.

STU hoped the government would look into not only the regional allowance but other allowances of teachers in schools, department and ministry.

Sarawak Bumiputera Teachers Union (KGBS) too supported the proposal, noting the burden borne by teachers serving outside their hometown.

KGBS noted these teachers needed to personally foot the house rental, which was no less expensive than those borne by teachers from the peninsula serving in these states.

“KGBS fully supports the call because the call is line with KGBS’s call through Public Service Study Transformation Panel.

“KGBS hopes the relevant parties can consider the call seriously in an effort to reduce the burden of local teachers in Sabah and Sarawak, who have to personally pay for their house rental when serving outside their hometown,” its president Ahmad Malie said.