Teachers who join political parties and openly voice their views may split the teaching community, claimed the National Union of the Teaching Profession president Kamarozaman Abd Razak.

This is especially so when the view of one particularly vocal teacher sparks a heated debate among the teachers, who are members or supporters from the opposite side of the divide, he told Malaysiakini.

"A fight following a debate may bring disharmony among the teachers when they get excited," he said.

"We advise our members to choose between their work or politics, if they want to be involved in politics, then let's quit or retire earlier," he said...