Raise salaries of imams, ustaz, PPBM tells Sabah govt

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KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah government should consider raising the allowances paid to imams and ustaz in line with their increased duties and responsibilities.

Silam PPBM chief Hakim Gulam Hassan said the allowance received by these religious leaders now was no longer sufficient to cope with the increasing cost of living.

“I think it would be good to review the salaries paid to these religious leaders in mosques since their duties have become more important nowadays.

“In a more complex Muslim community today, we need religious leaders who are not only leading us in prayers but also in other religious-related affairs.

“At the same time, we must consider the increased cost of living which means they should be given a fair allowance to ensure they can carry out their duties and responsibilities better,” he said when contacted today.

Hakim also urged the state government to start paying salaries to religious school teachers so that they no longer had to rely on payments from parents.

He said some religious schools were operating in poor conditions which meant the teachers were receiving a “pittance in salaries”, placing them in the hardcore poor group.

“Since the role of religious schools is to mould the new generation and to create a moral society, the time has come for the Sabah government to take over the responsibility to pay the salaries of teachers in these religious schools.” - FMT