回顾砂拉越教师职工会斯里阿曼省分会往事

 20-6-26

This morning, I attended the 23rd Annual General Meeting of the Sri Aman Division Sarawak Teachers’ Union (STU). The meeting proceeded harmoniously, without any heated debates. A fellowship gathering was held afterwards, featuring performances by teachers and students from four schools within the division. The atmosphere was lively and festive. Commemorative medals were also presented to retired members in recognition of their contributions.

Time flies. Looking back to the year 2000, the Union underwent a restructuring exercise. It was decided that the existing 20 branches would be reorganised into 10 branches based on Sarawak’s administrative divisions to facilitate better management. As a result, the Sri Aman, Lubok Antu, Betong and Saratok branches were to be merged into the Sri Aman Divisional Branch. However, under the Trade Unions Act, such a merger required the consent of each branch and had to be approved at their respective annual general meetings.

During the merger negotiations, the State Government announced the establishment of Sarawak’s 11th Division, Betong Division, in 2002, comprising the districts of Betong (formerly in the Saribas area) and Saratok. Consequently, when the Sri Aman Divisional Branch was officially formed in 2003, it consisted only of the Sri Aman and Lubok Antu districts. During this period, I had returned to Universiti Sains Malaysia to pursue my Master’s degree and was therefore not involved in the branch leadership, missing the entire negotiation process.

Before the merger, the Sri Aman Branch was the Union’s 20th branch and was officially established at the end of 1995. I had the honour of serving as its founding chairman. After completing one term, I stepped down to become vice chairman, allowing veteran union member, also my teacher Mdm Jee Lian Fah to take over the leadership. She served until her retirement in 2010, after which I resumed the chairmanship in 2011 and continued until 2019. This was because the Pakatan Harapan Government, which came into power in 2018, enforced provisions of the Trade Unions Act 1959 that prohibited civil servants in Grade 52 and above from holding positions in trade unions. From 2003 to 2010, I served as secretary of the merged branch while simultaneously sitting on the Union’s Supreme Council.

In fact, shortly after the Sarawak Teachers’ Union was established in 1965, a branch was set up in Simanggang (Sri Aman). In the 1970s, following the branch’s appointment to organise a major union event, it was subsequently suspended due to unforeseen circumstances. Around 1991, when the Union was entrusted by the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) to handle matters related to the Teachers’ Provident Fund (TPF) transfer scheme, efforts were made to revive and establish the Sri Aman Branch. However, these efforts did not materialise because the chairman of the pro tem committee was transferred elsewhere.

**I wrote this brief history because someone asked why this morning’s annual general meeting was only the 23rd AGM, meanwhile the Union had celebrated its 60th year anniversary last year. **

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今早出席砂教师职工会斯里阿曼省支部第23届会员大会，会上和谐，没有激烈的辩论。会后有联欢会，邀请省内4所学校师生呈献节目，场面热烈，同时颁发纪念勋章于退休会员。

时光荏苒，回想2000年，职工会重整组织，议决把原有的20个支部，依砂拉越的省份归纳为10个支部，以利管理。所以当时的斯里阿曼支部、鲁勃安都支部、木中支部及卡拉甲支部将合拼为斯里阿曼省支部，唯根据职工会法令，这个整合需要在各支部的同意并在各自的会员大会中通过。

在谈判合拼过程中，州政府宣布将在2002年成立以木中（砂里巴）县及砂拉卓（卡拉甲）县组成的第11省-木中省。所以，斯里阿曼省支部在2003年正式成立时就只由斯里阿曼及鲁勃安都县组成。这段时期，我回到理大读硕士，没在支部任职，错过谈判过程。

合拼前，斯里阿曼支部是职工会的第20个支部，正式成立于1995年底。我是首任主席。我担任一届主席后，退任副主席，让职工会资深会员余莲华接任。余莲华一直服务至2010年退休，我在2011年接任，至2019年，因为在2018年执政的希盟政府落实1959年职工会法令，阻止52级及以上的公务员在职工会内任职。2003-2010年，我是合拼后的支部秘书，同时是总会最高理事会成员。

其实，砂拉越教师职工会在1965年创立不久后，就在成邦江成立支部。1970年代，成邦江支部受委托举办大型活动后，因故被冻结。至1991年左右，职工会受僱员公积金局（EPF）委托处理教师公积金（TPF）转介事件，斯里阿曼支部的成立才被发动。不过，都因筹委会主席被迁职而不成。

**因被问为什么今早的大会是第23届，而写成这段史。