I’m putting up an email from a lecturer. An email which reminds me (and others) of the worst thing that could happen yet it may be one the sweetest things to happen. I know that most of coursemates have read this email, but it may beneficial to others out there who have also been posted to Sabah or Sarawak.

From: “laeria@…”
To: [email protected]
Sent: Monday, December 22, 2008 2:10:34 PM
Subject: Re: [ipba_bed_cohort2] Just some ramblings

Hi all,

For those of you going to Sabah (primary schools), please be informed that the conditions may be far worse than you can imagine. So be prepared. Last year two cohort 1 students returned as they could not take the conditions at their secondary schools. One has decided to pay the government back, the other is still appealing (after a year). The primary school conditions are often far worse. There are primary schools on islands which may take one or more hours to arrive by boat [e.g. Pulai Banggi (I think it is more than 3 hours north of Kudat), Pulau Bum-Bum]; others may require you to walk through jungles for one or more days (e.g. SK Buayan, Penampang; SK Sungoi, Tuaran) – hopefully they have transport these days. All of these schools may have no water or electricity. If they do have water, it’s either water from the wells or from collected rain water in enclosed ponds (where buffaloes and what not often reside). If they have electricity, it is often from generators which will only operate at certain times of the day/night.

Am giving you a WORSE CASE scenario so as to prepare you mentally for what lies ahead. You need to be proactive and think out an action plan of what to do if thrown into the backwaters. Some of the alternatives are:

1.  Accept the situation; embrace it wholeheartedly; treat it as an adventure for at least the next three
years and at the same time do your time for the nation and for the teaching soul in you

2.  Appeal for another school once you know which school you are going to. Here you will need
Sabahans e.g. Asmah, Adeliana (to tell you how bad the conditions in the school is); do remember
once you report for work or sign any documents in agreement, you are officially considered as a
teacher of the school; if you run away, you are considered AWOL

3.  Appeal to swap schools with some of your cohort members (guys may have to help out the girls
here). From experience last year, JPN Sabah has no qualms in sending girls to very remote places.
Tears may not help, BUT you may try to weeping (just kidding)

4.  You may want to ask for a year extension before reporting. Do not know if this alternative is valid
but was suggested by a cohort 1 senior. You may need strong grounds to do so. Perhaps you can
ask the Education Ministry officials when you meet them. You may also want to alert them to the
fact that JPN Sabah has no qualms in posting you people any where especially the girls.

There may be other alternatives. You may want to ask the Ministry officials whom you are meeting what they are. Of course they may not look too kindly on such questions so you need to ask in a most pleasant manner.

Communication is very important. So find out if there is reception for any of the mobile service providers. For internet, you may want to subscribe to Celcom’s Izzit, that is, provided there is coverage at your school.

Having said all that, I must add that conditions may not turn out that bad after all. Just writing in to give you some info to help you prepare. Often times, things are easier and less a burden when you go mentally prepared.

The good side is that many KPLI students are also being posted to Sabah. You have your seniors who are already there to help you settle down. They have survived a year so they can tell you what to do.

My personal experience was a good one in Sabah. Although my schools (I was in three different schools) in Sabah was not as remote as many other schools, I still went through many of the difficult situations such as digging wells for water during the kemarau season; developing rashes from bathing in water from an enclosed pond etc. The experience has made me tougher and it is an experience which I will cherish throughout my life which many other teachers will never ever experience; although the first night I almost cried ( I said almost) myself to sleep, when realization sunk in that I would be stuck in this far away village for the next five years. It really was eerily quiet with only the sound of the hydraulic pumping the water from the enclosed pond. Questions raced though my mind such as, Where will I get medical help if I fall sick? Who can I turn to for help in times of emergency? How can I get back in time if there be an emergency at home?

However, things often will turn out okay once you are settled in. I had a great bunch of teachers with me – both from Sabah and Peninsular. We held many activities together. The evenings were always filled with sports activities as we all had no where else to go. There were cook-ins, outings etc. I now have good friends in Sabah – friends for life.

The students were even better. Your heart will go out to them especially if you really want to see them make something of their lives. For example, I had a student who walked one and a half hours to school and another one and a half hours back only to help his parents in the padi field. When he scored a Grade 2 for the SPM, we were really overjoyed. It’s things like these that keep you going. As I said, you may need to feed your teaching soul with such experiences. The remotest places – whether in Semenanjung or Sabah/Sarawak would be the best to nourish your soul.

The downside is that you may be left behind – in terms of studies and personal life. However, for studies, I believe there are now avenues for those teaching in Sabah and Sarawak to pursue their post-graduate degrees. My suggestion is that you save as much as possible before coming back. That will at least compensate for what you lack in the other areas. I made a mistake in not being circumspect with my savings. So do set a target for your savings before your five years is up.

Well, it has been a long email. I just wanted to prepare you mentally for what lies ahead.

All the best and keep us posted wherever you go.

Regards.

Lawrence

P.S. Wherever you go, the guru besar is the boss; so just listen to him or her; do not try to be clever and do respect him or her even though he or she is not a graduate; also do respect your senior teachers even though they are not graduates. A reminder to the guys – please do not be an ayam jantan in whatever village you go to – keep a low profile as befits a humble teacher.

🙂

p/s: Thank you for the advise, sir. What you have wrote have at least made me more determined and more positive of what lies ahead. I hope you don’t mind having this up here.