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Statement by Dr Tan Seng Giaw, DAP National Vice-Chairman and MP for Kepong on the reiteration by the Education Minister to introduce the agreement between teachers and the Malaysian Government yesterday. 16.8.2001.

Because of recent political development, the Malaysian Government is bent on introducing compulsory signing of agreement between lecturers, teachers and students and the Government to ensure high quality of teaching and no undue influence on political inclination. This sudden imposition on teachers sounds ominous.

The Education Minister insists that this type of agreement is not only on teachers and lecturers, but also civil servants. He is not sure what form will the agreement take as he is consulting the Prime Minister Dato' Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad and the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Dr Rais Yatim.

Besides ensuring good behaviour of these professional people, the Education minister and his deputy Datuk Aziz Shamsudin have implied that some teachers try to destroy the future of students.

On 15 August, 2001, Datuk Aziz said that despite criticism and opposition, the ministry would continue with the intention to introduce the agreement between teachers and the Government.

"Those teachers who don't agree and those unwilling to sign the agreement can choose to leave the education sector," he added.

A TRUSS ON TEACHERS

The Deputy Minister believes that those teachers who do not abide by the law are not fit to be teachers. Without this type of agreement, irresponsible teachers can do whatever they like and the Education Ministry can do nothing about it.

Teaching is a noble profession. Datuk Aziz admits that most of the 284,000 teachers are dedicated. If so, he should concentrate on singling out those irresponsible ones and let us know just how many have wrecked the future of students.

Yes, the Government can ride roughshod over the people and lay down the rules. It can disregard all oppostion to the proposal for a compulsory agreement. It may lose a ship for a halfpenny worth of tar.

Every year it spends over RM60 million to train teachers in 31 teachers' training colleges and one teachers' university. It concentrates on producing quality and creativity among teachers.

Will the signing of an agreement for good behaviour imply that teachers tend to misbehave? Will putting them in a truss create innovative and inventive spirit? Or will the desperate measure improve the political fortune of the Government?

We have asked the Government to reconsider the decision to force teachers to sign such an agreement. We hope it will do so.

Dr Tan Seng Giaw