Implying research findings in into classroom practice requires a teacher to have an elaborate understanding and knowledge of those aspects of spoken language that the writing system represents. Phonemic awareness (PA) is widely convinced to be essential, though not sufficient, as one of the component in early reading instruction. Numerous evidences showed that PA instruction is able to accelerate reading acquisition in most children and reduce the incidence of reading failure. However limited in English as Second Language (ESL) settings, evidence suggests that many teachers do not have the recommended conceptual knowledge or skills sufficient to provide effective PA instruction. To that end, this study examined, with respect to PA instruction, the competencies of 90 randomly selected Mersing primary school English teachers certified in education field. Data were collected anonymously on the Survey of Teacher PhAKS (Phonemic Awareness Knowledge and Skills), a 15-item, self-administered, multiple choice instrument adapted from ‘Teacher Education in Phonemic Awareness Instruction’ by Elaine Anne Cheesman (2004).Results of this study indicate that significant numbers of primary school English teachers in this sample appear to be inadequately prepared with respect to PA instruction. They have limited knowledge of the conceptual basis of PA, are generally unable to select task-appropriate materials or activities, and lack skill in analyzing written words into constituent phonemes.