About 80 percent of teacher transfer applications in Malaysia involve long-distance postings to be with spouses, and most of these cases have been resolved, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said on May 15 at the 55th national Teachers' Day Awards ceremony in Ipoh [1, 2].
The Ministry of Education has introduced flexible measures to reduce the waiting period for transfer applications. Among these is allowing teachers to apply for transfers after two years of service, down from previous requirements [1, 2]. The minister emphasized that the ministry prioritizes not only spouse-related transfers but also cases involving health and safety concerns [1, 2].
"We are very empathetic and take into account all the circumstances faced by our teachers," Fadhlina said, highlighting the ministry’s effort to understand the challenges teachers experience when separated from their families due to postings [1]. She added, "About 80 per cent of transfer applications are related to spouse-distance cases, and we have resolved many of these," underscoring the ministry’s focus on resolving backlog and speeding up the process [2].
At the press conference following the awards ceremony, Fadhlina noted, "We understand the situation very well, and we take all applications into account. Our aim is to ensure the welfare of teachers is always prioritised" [2].
The next update on transfer application processing is expected as the ministry continues to implement these policies to further shorten waiting times and accommodate teacher welfare concerns [1, 2].
