STU president Kullin Djayang said the Education Services Commission’s decision would perpetuate the state’s lack of teachers.

“So long as teachers are being recruited from other states, Sarawak’s teacher shortage will not see an end, because in a few years’ time, these teachers will return to their home states. Thus, these vacancies will always continue to exist,” he said.

Earlier today, Sarawak education minister Roland Sagah Wee Inn said the recruitment to fill 1,733 vacancies was meant to be for Sarawakians only.

“But now they said they will also interview those from other parts of Malaysia,” he said.

He said Sarawak had no say in the decision by the Education Services Commission, “but I think they are not keeping their promise”.

“Let it be for Sarawakians only, whether we meet the standards or not,” he said today.

Kullin urged the federal education ministry to advise the commission on this matter, “as this is Sarawak’s first serious effort to tackle its shortage of teachers”.