The Sarawak Bumiputera Teachers Union (KGBS) said they were informed there was a lack of qualified local candidates who applied for such posts, The Borneo Post reported.

“So this prompted the SPP to take in candidates from Peninsular Malaysia,” KGBS president Zulkiflee Sebli was quoted as saying, referring to the Education Service Commission.

He said SPP’s decision to outsource teachers from Peninsular Malaysia was “appropriate” if there were indeed no qualified locals to take up the job.

Yesterday, Sarawak premier Abang Johari Openg denied that his administration was “anti-Malaya”or “anti-Semenanjung” (Peninsular Malaysia) in requesting for Sarawakians to fill vacancies for teachers.

Abang Johari said he merely wanted to avoid a scenario where non-Sarawakian teachers who accepted a post in the state would ask for a transfer out after a few years.

He said having non-Sarawakians transferred out after a few years would not help in resolving the shortage of teachers in the state, adding that local teachers would not request for a transfer.

On Monday, it was revealed that 300 applicants from outside Sarawak were among the 1,700 shortlisted candidates under the special teachers’ recruitment drive for the state.

Zulkiflee went on to say that the union was initially disappointed by SPP’s decision to include the 300 candidates as there were cases where many teachers from Peninsular Malaysia had failed to report for duty.

In some cases, these teachers also resorted to “arm twisting” to avoid being posted to Sarawak.

“Of course, we would like locals to fill up the vacancies if possible.”