The Mazhilis published a job announcement for an SMM specialist, stating that preference would be given to candidates proficient in the Russian language. This requirement sparked heated discussions on social media and caused significant public outcry, according to the national portal “Adyrna.”
The public criticized the government institution for not prioritizing the state language, as the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan designates Kazakh as the official language.
The job posting mentioned that the future employee would be responsible for managing the Mazhilis’ social media platforms. However, while fluency in Russian was listed as a mandatory requirement, knowledge of Kazakh was only considered an additional advantage.
The job description stated:
“Who are we looking for? A specialist with at least one year of experience in this field; someone who can work with graphic applications and modern SMM tools, including neural networks; someone who can write competently in Russian; knowledge of Kazakh is an additional advantage; someone who can work with analytical tools and develop promotion strategies for Facebook and Telegram.”
The announcement was later removed from the job search platform. Activists and social media users insist that the status of the state language must not be ignored and are demanding clear explanations from government officials regarding the issue.
