Murkam…the Minister of Education should intervene to address the issues.
KOTA KINABALU : – The Sabah National Teachers’ Union (KGKS) has urged the Public Service Department (JPA) to review the retroactive enforcement of the new interpretation of regulations concerning the Housing Allowance (EPW)’s eligibility for teachers who have legitimately received it based on the EPW Grant Guidelines of 2009 (JPA(BKP)548/1/12).
KGKS President Murkam Hj Hussien argued that the new interpretation regarding eligibility for receiving EPW has caused many teachers to feel ‘stressed and burdened’ with the debt of repaying EPW according to the recalculation enforced retroactively.
“KGKS believes it is unfair for teachers to bear the burden of repaying EPW through salary deductions after purchasing homes using the Government Housing Loan (LPPSA) when the new eligibility interpretation had not yet come into effect.
“Therefore, KGKS appeals to JPA to exempt teachers who have obtained LPPSA facilities based on the old interpretation from salary deductions through the retroactive method,” he said in a statement today.
Murkam also called on the Minister of Education to intervene to address the issues encountered by the impacted teachers.
He asserted that the new interpretation of EPW and LPPSA conditions has resulted in calculations being made using “a straight-line radius measurement of 25 km” and implemented retroactively.
As a result, Murkam noted that the affected teachers have been instructed to repay allowances that they have received for many years prior to the enforcement of the new calculation.
“Some have had to repay tens of thousands of ringgit. This is what burdens teachers in Sabah, especially those who received this facility before the new interpretation was enforced,” he said.
He added that based on the analysis of the psychology and performance impact of teachers involved in EPW repayment claims, the latest decision has led to various negative effects.
Murkam stressed that this constitutes psychological disturbances and collective emotional stress among teachers serving under the Ministry of Education Malaysia particularly in Sabah and Sarawak.
He said that among the issues are emotional stress, anxiety and fear, depression, professional fatigue, concentration and performance problems, as well as social and family impacts.
“I haven’t been able to sleep since receiving the demand letter. I feel extremely disappointed because we previously followed the official JPA guidelines from 2009. Now we are being asked to pay back, as if we have been deceitful. I have lost my motivation to teach,” said a teacher who wished to remain anonymous.
Another teacher from Tuaran remarked:
“I used that allowance to pay my house instalments. When I was told to pay it back, I had to use my child’s savings for university. Every time I go to school, my heart feels empty.”
Murkam was recently quoted as asserting that implementing the 25 km claim in a straight line is not appropriate in this state because of the hilly terrain and the lack of infrastructure such as roads.
“For example, teachers working at SK Penimbawan Tuaran… There are two ways to get there: by boat along the river, which takes between 10 and 15 minutes depending on weather conditions.
“The second way is to use a car and follow the road for 78 km. This means that strictly enforcing the 25 km requirement is not appropriate,” said Murkam of the newly enforced straight-line radius measurement of 25 km.
