IPOH, May 15 — Transfer applications involving teachers seeking placement closer to their spouses remain among the key priorities in safeguarding teachers’ welfare, said Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek.

She said the ministry has taken several steps to improve the handling of teacher welfare cases, including reducing the waiting period for transfer applications.

“We are very empathetic and take into account all situations faced by our teachers.

“For cases involving long-distance spouses, the Ministry of Education gives priority. About 80 per cent of transfer applications are related to spouse-distance cases, and we have resolved many of these,” she said.

She said this at a press conference after attending the 55th national-level Teachers’ Day Awards ceremony held at the Kinta Riverfront Hotel here.

Fadhlina added that the ministry has also introduced improvements to speed up the process, allowing eligible applications to be considered within a shorter timeframe compared with previous years.

She admitted that the transfer processes could take a longer period in the past, but the ministry has since introduced more flexible measures, including a two-year consideration period for certain applications.

She said remaining cases are also assessed based on health and safety factors.

“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,” she added. - malaymail