Malaysia
Cause of decline
A professor gives his views on cause of the simmering educational
crisis. Malaysiakini letter.
Nov 13, 2005
Merit
has no relevance in local varsities
By Professor P. Ramasamy
All the public universities in the country are in a terrible
state of
affairs. The low academic quality leading to a worsening
crises is a result of a variety of factors.
First,
the open and institutionalised discrimination of non-bumiputeras
in academic and administrative appointments has meant that
only bumis - particularly those loyal to Umno - are considered
for these positions.
The
vicious discrimination of non-bumis citizens on the grounds
of their ethnicity and religion has made mockery of Malaysia
as a democratic country.
Past
experiences reveal that sometimes, as in the case of UKM,
even
non-citizens holding academic positions are appointed as
administrators.
Non-bumis
are completely by-passed in the administrative appointments.
Given this open discrimination, merit has no relevance in
the public universities.
Second,
vice-chancellors in the public universities are all 'yes-men'
to those in Umno and the Ministry of Education. They simply
lack the academic and professional credentials to steer
the universities in a healthy direction.
They
have been appointed to their present positions simply because
of their connections to those in power, the UKM vice-chancellor
being a case in point.
Third,
the public universities are merely pathetic appendages of
the
government; they do not have the requisite autonomy to function
in a free and healthy environment.
Since
there is complete lack of autonomy, the activities of students
and lecturers are very much regulated and controlled.
Those
who are critically-minded face the prospect of punitive
actions.
Lecturers who are vocal face the prospect of removal or
non-renewal of
contracts.
Fourth,
academic promotions are determined by criteria other than
merit.
Ethnicity,
religion and loyalty to the government determines academic
promotions. Non-bumis by definition are considered problematic
in terms of academic promotions or administrative appointments.
So how
can one expect our public universities to attain academic
and
professional standards when there is such a blatant discrimination?
How
can a country that labels itself an aspiring democracy condone
and justify such a nefarious practice of excluding a segment
of its population from participating effectively in public
universities? It is such a shame.
Millions
of taxpayers' money is spent on building universities and
paying lecturers. The money comes from all, but the beneficiaries
belong to one particular ethnic group.
Unless
and until the racial apartheid is dismantled in the Malaysian
education system in general and in public universities in
particular, it makes no sense to talk of the quality of
the public universities.
(The
writer, formerly of UKM, is now Visiting Professor at University
of Kassel, Germany.)
