KUALA LUMPUR: Teachers must stay focused and not neglect their essential duties even when they are allowed to get involved in politics, National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) said today.
Welcoming the announcement made by prime minister today, its president Aminuddin Awang said such permission and positions in politics should not be misused by teachers for personal gains.
"We need to accept the decision in a mature manner. What's crucial is that teachers who hold a position in a political party must not neglect their duty.
"We also hope that teachers who are affiliated to a political (entity) should not use that as a channel to get positions in the District Education Office or state Education Department," he told Berita Harian when contacted today.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob today announced that the government has decided to allow teachers under the Education Ministry as well as staff of the Community Development Department (Kemas) to get involved in politics, with immediate effect.
He said the decision was made at a recent cabinet meeting and the Education Ministry would soon issue a circular on the matter.
However, he said teachers and Kemas staff are subject to rules set by their respective departments.
Commenting further, Aminuddin said NUTP hoped that the country's political landscape would become more mature and orderly with the involvement of teachers like what had happened in the 1950s and 1960s.
"Back then, teachers were very important in determining the country's political direction," he added.
While welcoming the announcement, Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs) president Datuk Adnan Mat said teachers must avoid being a political tool.
"Kemas welcomes the permission (to allow teachers to be involved in politics). However, Kemas staff are worried that they would be directed to 'work for politics'.
"This will lead to the same problem of which Kemas was accused of assisting the previous government, and contract workers were threatened to be laid off.
"The Peninsular Malaysia Kemas Workers Union or KESATERIA hopes that all Kemas workers will be offered permanent positions so that all teachers can join politics without hesitation," Adnan said when contacted.
