Dr Annuar challenges teachers to lead English education reform in Sarawak
Dr Annuar (seated centre) joins educators for a group photo during the opening ceremony of Seles 2025.
BINTULU (June 11): Sarawak Deputy Minister of Education, Innovation and Talent Development, Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee, has challenged English teachers statewide to create a holistic working paper aimed at transforming English education in the state .
'It is a very simple topic, but I want you to be more honest and more comprehensive. I want you (teachers) to come up with a programme on how to improve teaching amongst yourselves as well as learning amongst our students,' he said during the opening ceremony of the Sarawak English Language Education Symposium (Seles) 2025 here today.
Dr Annuar was representing State Minister of Education, Innovation and Talent Development, Dato Sri Roland Sagah Wee Inn.
He said the Sarawak government was moving away from a top-down approach, and emphasised the need for grassroots input and empowerment of front-line educators.
'We don't want to tell you what to do – we want you to tell us what you need. If we can support it, we will. That's better than asking you to do what you don't want to do.'
Dr Annuar said that excessive top-down mandates have contributed to teacher burnout and a loss of focus on core teaching duties, with too much energy being spent on administrative documentation rather than classroom instruction.
Reflecting on Seles' nine-year journey, Dr Annuar said the initiative had grown significantly and it was time for critical self-assessment.
'If we had a child nine years ago, they would be in Primary 3 now. From not being able to speak, now they can speak fluently, and Seles should be the same with visible success.
'Thus, the 10th symposium next year must be a turning point – a time to evaluate progress, identify gaps and establish a strong foundation for the next phase,' he said.
Dr Annuar said with the Sarawak Free Tertiary Education Scheme (FTES) rolling out next year, students with a poor command of English risk being left behind.
'If our students can't speak English well, they may not benefit from FTES. That's why your role as teachers, both in primary and secondary schools, is crucial,' he said.
He voiced particular concern for rural students, many of whom only encounter English in the classroom due to limited exposure at home and in their communities.
'We must prepare them properly. We've moved beyond debating why we need to emphasise English. Now it's about how we do it.'
Meanwhile, the ministry's permanent secretary Adana Jed said about 200 teachers from across the northern zone of Sarawak, representing eight district Education Offices, participated in Seles 2025.
He said the symposium brought together English language teachers and education officers from across Sarawak to share ideas and good practices in teaching English.
'Education is changing with the times. As technology becomes a big part of our daily lives, our English teaching must also grow and improve, not just to keep up, but to lead the way,' he said.
The highlights of the three-day symposium include a keynote address by Prof Vincent Lee from Curtin University Malaysia, who will share valuable insights on English education; and two plenary sessions by the Sarawak Education Department's Learning Sector senior principal assistant director Eileen Jessie Ah Guan and SK Ulu Lubai teacher Nicholas Anderson Lim. Bintulu dr annuar rapaee education English Seles
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malay Mail
7 hours ago
- Malay Mail
SST will not impact private kindergarten fees, says women's minister
KUALA LANGAT, June 30 — The expansion of the Sales and Services Tax (SST) will not have a significant impact on parents who send their children to private nurseries, kindergartens or preschools, said Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri. She said this was because the service tax would only apply to operators imposing annual tuition fees exceeding RM60,000 per student. 'The public need not worry, as it is understood that most private institutions currently do not charge fees that reach the RM60,000 threshold per year,' she told reporters after the Anjung Sinar 2025 Programme appreciation ceremony here yesterday. Nancy also reminded entrepreneurs not to capitalise on efforts to strengthen the country's fiscal position and broaden the tax base in ways that would burden parents. 'We hope they (business operators) will act honestly to help parents so that they are able to work. Operators must also remember that people need their services, so do not charge excessively,' she said. The six per cent service tax, which will be imposed from July 1 on educational services including private preschools and schools, will not apply to Malaysian citizens with disabilities. At today's programme, Nancy presented awards to five outstanding icons of the Anjung Sinar Programme by Yayasan Kebajikan Negara (YKN), representing the education, leadership, community, career and volunteer categories. The icons were selected based on their achievements and significant contributions over the three years they were mentored and guided through the comprehensive approach offered under the Anjung Sinar Programme, which began in 2023. — Bernama
New Straits Times
8 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Trillions, tigers and turnarounds
Southeast Asia's economic journey is one of the great plot twists of modern development. In the late 1960s, the region was a patchwork of newly independent nations—some hopeful, some fragile, and all facing the hard task of nation-building after centuries of colonial rule. Back then, the Philippines led the economic pack, buoyed by American institutions, a cosmopolitan capital, and an educated, English-speaking elite. Indonesia and Thailand were still predominantly agrarian but rich in demographic energy. Malaysia was just finding its industrial footing after formation. And Singapore, bereft of natural resources and separated from Malaysia, seemed an unlikely contender for regional dominance. Fast forward to the present, and that economic order has been turned on its head. Indonesia now leads the region with a trillion-dollar economy, Singapore has become a high-income global hub, and both Thailand and Malaysia have transitioned into mid-sized industrial powers. Meanwhile, the Philippines, once the early mover, has struggled to keep pace—its growth real but outstripped by those once in its shadow. So, what explains this reversal of fortunes? The answer isn't just about who grew fastest—it's about how they grew and what that reveals about the deeper engines of transformation in Southeast Asia. 1. Scale Without Strategy is Just Potential Energy Indonesia's population gave it tremendous latent power, even in the 1960s. But scale alone is never destiny. It took decades of reform, difficult political transitions, and a renewed national focus on infrastructure and deregulation—especially under President Joko Widodo—to turn potential into sustained output. Investments in logistics, digitalisation, and industrial upgrading have made Indonesia not just big, but increasingly strategic in global value chains. The Philippines, by contrast, was long a story of untapped potential. A vast diaspora, cultural links to the West, and a service-oriented workforce should have been assets. But policy inconsistency, weak institutions, and chronic underinvestment in infrastructure kept productivity low. The country became a reliable exporter of workers, but not of high-value goods or innovation. 2. Location Helps, but Governance Wins Singapore is the clearest example of how governance trumps geography. With no natural hinterland and few resources, it focused instead on institutional excellence. It didn't just operate a port—it became a platform for finance, logistics, arbitration, and innovation. Bureaucratic efficiency became a national export. Foreign investment wasn't just welcomed—it was strategically deployed. While others debated tariffs, Singapore streamlined customs. While others politicised education, it produced a globally competitive workforce. Its rise was not miraculous—it was meticulously engineered through decades of compounding good policy. 3. Reform is Not a One-Off; It's a Reflex Malaysia and Thailand rode the early waves of globalisation, leveraging export-led growth, attracting Japanese and Western capital, and building strong manufacturing ecosystems—especially in electronics. But both now face the "middle-income trap": where gains from cheap labour have plateaued and higher productivity hasn't yet emerged. In Malaysia's case, institutional complacency and political turbulence have dimmed the reform flame. In Thailand, frequent coups and uncertain rule of law have dulled investor confidence. The lesson is this: reform isn't a speech—it's a system of reflexes that must evolve over time. And in some corners of Asean, that muscle memory has faded. Beyond Growth: A Region Rewriting Its Own Playbook What Southeast Asia is experiencing today is not just a race for GDP milestones—it's a recalibration of what economic success looks like in a post-globalisation era. Once seen through the lens of Cold War alliances and postcolonial recovery, the region now sits at the intersection of global supply chain shifts, technological disruption, and geopolitical realignment. This situation demands a shift in mindset. Asean must stop being a passive beneficiary of global trade and become an active architect of its own destiny—by building regional value chains, accelerating digital integration, and embracing bold, sometimes uncomfortable, governance reforms. The prosperity seen today didn't emerge by accident. It was forged through hard choices, long-term planning, and a willingness to adapt. But the future will demand even more—especially as AI reshapes labour markets, climate change tests resilience, and geopolitical pressures tighten. Yes, Indonesia now wears the trillion-dollar crown. Singapore remains the region's startup nation. Malaysia and Thailand still punch above their weight. And the Philippines? Its story isn't finished. But the next chapter will require more than remittances and resilience. It will require reinvention. Because in Southeast Asia, history doesn't repeat—it recalibrates. And the region's most enduring truth remains: leadership isn't inherited. It's built. Samirul Ariff Othman is an economist, adjunct lecturer at Universiti Teknologi Petronas, international relations analyst and senior consultant with Global Asia Consulting. The views expressed here are his own.
The Star
a day ago
- The Star
It still hurts
Still waiting: An MA63 rally at Padang Merdeka in Kuching in 2019; such scenes are repeated regularly as Sabah and Sarawak keep pressing for the agreement's (below) conditions to be met by the Federal Government. — Filepic/The Star ON Aug 10, 1965, one day after Singapore separated from Malaysia, then Sabah chief minister Tun Fuad Stephens wrote to its prime minister, the late Lee Kuan Yew, whose English name was Harry. Here's an excerpt from that very personal missive. 'My dear Harry, Billed as RM9.73 for the 1st month then RM13.90 thereafters. RM12.33/month RM8.63/month Billed as RM103.60 for the 1st year then RM148 thereafters. Free Trial For new subscribers only
