Mohd Ashraf Mustaqim Badrul Munir, the wing’s executive councillor in charge of education and university student issues, today said the move had infringed on the Federal Constitution and a Public Service Department circular in August 2010 that allowed teachers to engage in politics.
In a statement today he said the circular allowed government servants between grades DG41 and DG48 to become members of political parties or be directly involved in politics.
“In fact, they are allowed to contest or hold posts in any political party,” he said, adding that civil servants in high management and in professional management positions are only allowed to be ordinary members of parties.
Education Minister Mahdzir Khalid had announced yesterday that five teachers alleged to have criticised the government on an opposition platform were slapped with show-cause letters from the ministry.
“We live in a democratic country. We do not have a problem with anyone supporting whoever they liked,” Mahdzir was quoted as saying in a Bernama report.
“But the problem arises when a government official goes on an opposition stage and gives a speech to hit out at the government while he is holding a public post.”
Ashraf questioned how a minister could issue such a statement simply due to opposing political ideology. He claimed that it went against the provision set out in the circular and also violated citizens’ rights.
“In fact, Article 10 in the Constitution safeguards the rights of the five teachers,” he added, pointing out that it allows all citizens to have free speech and be able to voice out.
Ashraf noted that Mahdzir had also said if a teacher reached such a stage of political activity as the five allegedly did it would be better for the person to stop working with the government.
He said teachers were saddled with with numerous problems, many of which were beyond the scope of their educational duties, such as cuts in the education budget.
He said schools were forced to look for funding through their teachers to be able to carry out development projects or school programmes, with many having to contribute money from their own pockets.
“The government needs to re-evaluate how far it is willing to hear the grievances of teachers on the burdens borne by our educators as they are the backbone of the country’s development and the nation’s aspirations to achieve the Transformasi Nasional 2050 (TN50) plan,” Ashraf said.
He called on Mahdzir to focus on improving Malaysia’s ranking in education which he said is now 52nd among 72 nations surveyed by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) for the period 2016-17.
Teachers actively discrediting govt should quit, says Mahdzir