Mataram, Lombok – Some 350 teachers in East Lombok staged a protest Saturday, threatening to boycott Monday's national final test in junior high schools if the administration failed to return money cut from their salary for the past 26 months.

The protest's coordinator, Maksin, said the teachers, who flocked outside the office of East Lombok regent, returned to the street since Regent Ali bin Dahlan failed to meet his promise. They were not able to meet the regent.

For over a year, the teachers' salaries were cut by 2.5 percent for professional donations. The administration also cut the pay of all civil servants.

The regent in February agreed to stop the cut and promised to return some Rp 10 billion (US$1.1 million) collected from around 5,000 people.