As with most other former British colonies, the English language education policies for national schools in Malaysia are formed on the basis of English being a second language (ESL) due to the persisting importance of the language in different facets of Malaysian society even after gaining independence. However, little is known about the implications of such policies on the students in rural parts of Sabah, a state in Malaysian Borneo, where students are primarily of indigenous backgrounds, and English is closer to a foreign language than it is a second language. Therefore, this study intends to explore this issue through a multi-method approach, including narrative interviews with ten English language teachers in rural schools of Ranau District in Sabah. The presentation will discuss the implication of ESL policies towards English education for indigenous students in rural schools by looking at the teachers’ perspectives, mainly based on their own experiences.