because we know the reasons for declining standards but we do not have the political will to correct them.
Excerpt from an article, Malaysian Universities and the NEP, by Dr Lim Teck Ghee in 2009, which is just as relevant now because government was in denial mode:
'On September 25, I wrote on the recent Time Higher Education- QS Ranking of World Universities which rated our Malaysian public universities poorly in the region and world.
By coincidence, the following day, the secretary-general of the Higher Education Ministry, Dr Zulkefli Hassan, had an article in The Star (Sept 26, 2009) titled 'Towards a path of excellence' which blurbed "To achieve the Government’s aspirations of Malaysian becoming a world-class educational hub, both the ministry and the institutions have to embrace drastic change.
Unfortunately, the sec-gen despite acknowledging the need for drastic change in the nation’s universities, totally ignored the issue of the NEP and its race related policies and how these are related to the decline in standards.'
'Three years ago, in a frank admission of why standards have declined in the premier university in the country, various key issues were raised by Tan Sri Arshad Ayub, Chairman of the University of Malaya’s board of directors, when he addressed the university’s academic staff association. In his address carried in a Malaysiakini article, he asked:
"Are we colour blind in our dealings with students, or do we show preferential treatment to students we consider ‘our own kind’?
"Are we providing a working environment where academic integrity is paramount and the path to professional satisfaction and reward? Or are we creating an environment based on feudalistic practices that can bring about nothing but dissatisfaction?"
"Are promotions and appointments based on merit? Are we ensuring that the most qualified academics are selected for promotion and to lead our departments, faculties and research institutions, regardless of their ethnic background? Or are we undermining morale by appointing academics based on factors other than merit?"
According to Arshad, the declining academic standards “can be reversed by an administration that is transparent, accountable, non-racial and free of corrupt practices… . We cannot be seen as promoting the goal of ending racism unless we are also seen to be people who act in [a] just and non-racial manner."
Urging academic staff to take advantage of universities to promote racial integration and instill good values in students, and to be vocal on important issues, he argued that only merit-based promotions carried out in an honest and transparent manner could account for every cent of public funds, and that anything less would be an abuse of power and corrupt act.
The good Tan Sri did not mention the NEP and its race orientation directly in his unprecedented analysis. That may have been too much of a taboo topic and too sensitive even for someone of his standing to broach.
However, he also pointed out that “[a]silent culture is not an ethical culture in academia”. Stressing the need to “stamp out corruption and racism” and to be seen as clean and trustworthy, he argued that “[w]e need to govern in a non-racial and transparent manner if we hope to get our students to understand the values of justice and accountability.”
Rest of article:
http://www.cpiasia.net/v3/index.php/228-commentary-sp-353/commentary/2633-malaysian-universities-and-the-nep
Link
Excerpt from an article, Malaysian Universities and the NEP, by Dr Lim Teck Ghee in 2009, which is just as relevant now because government was in denial mode:
'On September 25, I wrote on the recent Time Higher Education- QS Ranking of World Universities which rated our Malaysian public universities poorly in the region and world.
By coincidence, the following day, the secretary-general of the Higher Education Ministry, Dr Zulkefli Hassan, had an article in The Star (Sept 26, 2009) titled 'Towards a path of excellence' which blurbed "To achieve the Government’s aspirations of Malaysian becoming a world-class educational hub, both the ministry and the institutions have to embrace drastic change.
Unfortunately, the sec-gen despite acknowledging the need for drastic change in the nation’s universities, totally ignored the issue of the NEP and its race related policies and how these are related to the decline in standards.'
'Three years ago, in a frank admission of why standards have declined in the premier university in the country, various key issues were raised by Tan Sri Arshad Ayub, Chairman of the University of Malaya’s board of directors, when he addressed the university’s academic staff association. In his address carried in a Malaysiakini article, he asked:
"Are we colour blind in our dealings with students, or do we show preferential treatment to students we consider ‘our own kind’?
"Are we providing a working environment where academic integrity is paramount and the path to professional satisfaction and reward? Or are we creating an environment based on feudalistic practices that can bring about nothing but dissatisfaction?"
"Are promotions and appointments based on merit? Are we ensuring that the most qualified academics are selected for promotion and to lead our departments, faculties and research institutions, regardless of their ethnic background? Or are we undermining morale by appointing academics based on factors other than merit?"
According to Arshad, the declining academic standards “can be reversed by an administration that is transparent, accountable, non-racial and free of corrupt practices… . We cannot be seen as promoting the goal of ending racism unless we are also seen to be people who act in [a] just and non-racial manner."
Urging academic staff to take advantage of universities to promote racial integration and instill good values in students, and to be vocal on important issues, he argued that only merit-based promotions carried out in an honest and transparent manner could account for every cent of public funds, and that anything less would be an abuse of power and corrupt act.
The good Tan Sri did not mention the NEP and its race orientation directly in his unprecedented analysis. That may have been too much of a taboo topic and too sensitive even for someone of his standing to broach.
However, he also pointed out that “[a]silent culture is not an ethical culture in academia”. Stressing the need to “stamp out corruption and racism” and to be seen as clean and trustworthy, he argued that “[w]e need to govern in a non-racial and transparent manner if we hope to get our students to understand the values of justice and accountability.”
Rest of article:
http://www.cpiasia.net/v3/index.php/228-commentary-sp-353/commentary/2633-malaysian-universities-and-the-nep
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