KUCHING: The community of Sg Paoh, Sarikei rejects the appointment of an Ustaz to be the principal of SMK Sungai Paoh not because of his religion but because he is a non-Sarawakian.
Clement Hilary, chairman of Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (Sadia), Sarikei branch, claimed that the community wanted a Sarawakian and not someone from Peninsular Malaysia.
He told The Borneo Post that the continued appointment of Peninsular Malaysians to leadership posts in the state would deprive Sarawakians of the opportunity to climb up the promotion ladder.
“Many of our NPQEL (National Professional Qualification for Educational Leaders) graduates remain un-promoted or robbed of opportunities because these leadership posts have been given to the outsiders. And these have been going on for a long time.
“For any Sarawakian to defend the appointment means that it is Sarawakians who are killing the chances of potential Sarawakians to rise up the promotion ladder. Maybe it is time we open the can of worms,” said Clement.
He stressed that though Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem has Initiative 90:10 as a vision, whereby by 2018 the ratio of teaching staff in Sarawak should be 90 locals to 10 from other states, what was happening on the ground was clearly not going towards that direction.
“There are many qualified teaching personnel in Sarawak. They can do as well if not better than those from Peninsular Malaysia,” Clement pointed out.
Saying the list could go on, he cited Leonard Martin Uning who holds the record of being the youngest principal (at age 29) of Kolej Tanjong Lobang and another accomplished educationalist Datuk Dr Adi Badiozaman Tuah as examples of Sarawakians who were capable if not better than Peninsular Malaysians.
“We have qualified, experienced and high calibre educationalists around. Why must we get someone from Peninsular Malaysia? So don’t tell me there is no one in Sarawak of the calibre of these two.”
Clement was responding to the appointment of Ustaz Ruslin Che Mood from Kelantan to be the principal of SMK Sg Paoh.
Meanwhile, Hamidon Gani, the chairman of Parent-Teacher Association of SMK Sg Paoh when contacted, also asked for a local to be the school’s principal.
“I have no problem with the appointment. But since the parents are not happy with it, I am asking on behalf of the parents to have a local as the principal of the school,” said Hamidon.