Appointment as principal of government-aided religious school (SABK) in Malaysia

• Main Authors: A., Umar,, E.A., Jamsari,, W.Z.W., Hassan,, A., Sulaiman,, N., Muslim,, Z., Mohamad,
• Format: Article
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2015
• Subjects: Educational leadership; Government-aided religious school (SABK); Islamic education management; Office of principal
• Online Access: http://ddms.usim.edu.my/handle/123456789/8566

This article discusses the appointment process of a principal in government-aided religious school (SABK) in Malaysia, which runs into several management problems. The research objective is to study the appointment process of a principal, in addition to examining the role and function of this office in the management system of Islamic education in SABK. This research adopts a qualitative methodology through interview questions and document analysis. Research findings highlight three main issues, namely: the vagueness of the power of appointment, role and function of principal and suggestions to resolve the problems. This research also shows that the actual problem originates from vagueness in interpreting the authority conferred by the Federal Constitution in terms of Islamic management of education. The Federal system which is the pillar of Malaysian political ideology does not give ample space for cooperation among stakeholders of the Islamic education management. This research suggests a rule of joint-management procedure based on a development and jointmanagement model (MPPB) to ensure that appointment to office of principal in the management of Islamic education runs smoothly without giving rise to disputes in any form.