In a way, I shouldn't be surprised to hear that the authorities at UM have barred (or so it seems) Azmi Sharom, of the law faculty, from writing any more columns in the Star. Perhaps I should be surprised that he was allowed to write as much as he did, many of them articles criticizing the state of higher education in our country. The straw that seemed to have broken the camel's back was certain factual errors in his October 2nd column criticizing the university's handling of campus elections.
This was Tok Pa's reply to Lim Kit Siang, as reported by Malaysiakini:
In his ministerial winding-up, Higher Education Minister Mustapha Mohamed told the House that Azmi was called up after UM found that his article contained two “factual errors”.
“The campaign period was not one day as stated in the article, it was six days. The writer also implied that there were irregularities involved at the law faculty’s election (as there was a re-election held at the faculty), but this was not true,” he said.
“As an academician, he should be objective and write the right facts. The honourable Ipoh Timor (Lim) has been influenced by the inaccurate facts in the column,” he added.
I don't know much about the details of the campus elections in UM and in other local universities, but it seems that these inaccurate facts were at best minor details. Indeed, it was surprising that Tok Pa or the university administrators didn't adress what I thought was the larger issue which was the fact that some pro-establishment candidates were put up in a luxury hotel during the period of the campus elections. Talk about missing the forest for the trees.
In the same Malaysiakini article, the newly appointed UM VC was asked about this matter:
On Oct 6, the UM vice-chancellor told a press conference that the university believed in academic freedom but such freedom would not directly enhance academic excellence.
Asked to comment on whether the university restricts its academicians from writing freely in newspapers, Rafiah however appeared evasive and said writing in newspapers does not help improve academic excellence as newspaper columns would not be cited by academic journals.
While she is absolutely correct in saying that writing in newspapers doesn't help improve academic excellence (in terms of intellectual contribution in one's field), she fails to understand that academics are often called to play a bigger role, including contributing to the larger public debate as public intellectuals. Azmi Sharom was clearly contributing to public discourse in his capacity as a public intellectual.
She also fails to recognize that a university should be open to criticism from its own faculty members, especially on issues which have to do with its reputation. Instead of clamping down on such debate, the VC should listen to such greviances and address some of the root causes of such greviances, to the extent that is possible.
Many academics in my own university, Duke, expressed their dissatisfaction publicly with the way the university administrators were handling a high profile rape accusation case involving the players in the lacrosse team at Duke. Many of them wrote letters to the local and national press and none of them were 'hauled' up by the university administrators to be reprimanded or warned, even though some of them did not have all the right 'facts'. Indeed, the administrators at Duke were proactive and tried to address the concerns of many of these academics through the setting up of special committees to further investigate the issues of concern.
What if Azmi Sharom had written columns criticizing certain government policies instead of highlighting certain shortcomings in the local universities? Would he have also been hauled up for not playing his part in the 'nation-building' project? (I wonder if any of the administrators have heard of a New York Times columnist by the name of Paul Krugman who also happens to be a dabbler in the field of economics?)
The ironic thing about the muzzling of academics such as Azmi Sharom (as well as others such as Terence Gomez and KS Jomo) is that the reputation, domestically and internationally, of our public universities is further damaged. The presence of such public intellectuals, who were given space to contribute to the public discourse, actually gave the local universities at least an appearance of having some academic freedom and some proof that a healthy academic environment of debate and discussion within our local universities was not entirely a myth. Worse still, if the actions taken by the university administrators eventually lead to Azmi Sharom leaving UM for greener pastures elsewhere, then we would have lost another good academic.
We were giving the new VC at UM the benefit of the doubt, crediting her (and other VCs) with a measured response in regards to the latest THES rankings as well as inviting opposition members to an event officated by Pak Lah (the setting up of the Royal Ungku Aziz Chair for Poverty Studies). This latest move to try to muzzle Azmi Sharom would certainly count as a mark in the negative column for the new UM VC. It shows that she's not ready to meaningful space for open, transparent and purposely discussion and dialogue in the public realm.
On my part, I hope that the Malaysiakini report is not correct in the sense that I hope that Azmi Sharom might have gotten away with a strong reprimand / warning and that he will be allowed to continue writing his columns in The Star. But perhaps this is more wishful thinking on my part?
Tuesday, December 5, 2006
Azmi Sharom Silenced?
Is our favourite resident academic on this blog, Associate Professor Azmi Sharom of the Universiti Malaya (UM) Law Faculty issued a gag order?
For those who are unaware, Azmi Sharom has been one of the more outspoken academics in an honest attempt to improve the quality of our local universities. He was at the forefront when Dato' Kapt Professor Dr Hashim Yaakob "strutted around like a bunch of peacocks" when UM plunged 80 spots in the global university rankings compiled by the Times Higher Education Supplement (THES).
He has also written very regularly since then, for the local English dailies on issues with regards to our universities as well as our youth. He has argued that "students should then be allowed to sort [their own activities] out themselves. After all, they are old enough to drive, get married, buy tobacco; surely they don’t need minders to hold their hand to find their faculty on campus."
When Datuk Mustapa Mohamed took over the portfolio of the Minister of Higher Education, Azmi wrote an open letter published in the Star which pleaded for improved quality, greater transparency and better leadership. He asked that "if you love your universities, you must set them free."
He was also interviewed extensively by Jacqueline Ann Surin of the Sun, particularly on the draconian University and University Colleges Act (1971).
But it looks like the straw that broke the camel's neck appears to be his last article in the Star, which spoke of "Hijinks in Student Politics" on October 2nd this year.
He spoke of the silly nature of university campus elections.
As reported by Malaysiakini, and raised by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, Sdr Lim Kit Siang, "the academic was hauled up by the university’s authority after the article appeared and was ‘advised’ by vice-chancellor Rafiah Salim not to write on matters related to the university."
In reply, the feeble excuse provided by the Minister of Higher Education was that Azmi's statement contained "factual errors".
It is a sad day for the academia, and a sad day for Universiti Malaya when one of the best academics in the university in terms of having the interest of students, youths and the quality of education at heart, has been barred from writing for the benefit of the public.
Azmi once told me that he has never been "disturbed" by university authorities for his outspokenness, even during the reign of the former vice-chancellor. However, it looks like all good things do come to an end, and it's unfortunate that the expectations of greater academic freedom under the new reign of Datuk Rafiah Salim has evaporated so quickly.
Read more on Kian Ming's take on the issue here.
For those who are unaware, Azmi Sharom has been one of the more outspoken academics in an honest attempt to improve the quality of our local universities. He was at the forefront when Dato' Kapt Professor Dr Hashim Yaakob "strutted around like a bunch of peacocks" when UM plunged 80 spots in the global university rankings compiled by the Times Higher Education Supplement (THES).
He has also written very regularly since then, for the local English dailies on issues with regards to our universities as well as our youth. He has argued that "students should then be allowed to sort [their own activities] out themselves. After all, they are old enough to drive, get married, buy tobacco; surely they don’t need minders to hold their hand to find their faculty on campus."
When Datuk Mustapa Mohamed took over the portfolio of the Minister of Higher Education, Azmi wrote an open letter published in the Star which pleaded for improved quality, greater transparency and better leadership. He asked that "if you love your universities, you must set them free."
He was also interviewed extensively by Jacqueline Ann Surin of the Sun, particularly on the draconian University and University Colleges Act (1971).
But it looks like the straw that broke the camel's neck appears to be his last article in the Star, which spoke of "Hijinks in Student Politics" on October 2nd this year.
He spoke of the silly nature of university campus elections.
The rules in place with regard to campaigning are really laughable. There are banners and posters put up here and there but they say absolutely nothing except the name of the candidate. There is no mention of their policy grounds and their campaign promises. This is made worse by the fact that the candidates are given about a day to campaign! Add to this the ban on the creation of formal coalitions, and what you get are voters who have little opportunity to know who they are voting for. It makes a mockery of the idea of a true democracy.And he implied irregularities for the Law Faculty elections, which required a re-election.
Although not completely definitive, an occurrence during the last student elections is worrying and is further reason why a proper investigation should be conducted. What happened was that the voting for two faculty representatives had to be done again because the number of votes was more than the number of voters. The original vote was done at the various colleges. The re-election was done at the Faculty concerned.He also raised other embarrassing irregularities such as "the Selangor state government’s treating Aspirasi candidates to a stay in a luxury hotel in Petaling Jaya prior to the elections this year," which went unquestioned.
In the first vote, an Aspirasi candidate came first, narrowly followed by an independent candidate. In the re-election, the two independent candidates won by a margin far larger that the original vote.
What this shows are two possibilities. Either the original votes were tampered with or that students voted differently when the venue for the election was a neutral one. (Colleges have a reputation of being very pro-Aspirasi.)
As reported by Malaysiakini, and raised by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, Sdr Lim Kit Siang, "the academic was hauled up by the university’s authority after the article appeared and was ‘advised’ by vice-chancellor Rafiah Salim not to write on matters related to the university."
In reply, the feeble excuse provided by the Minister of Higher Education was that Azmi's statement contained "factual errors".
“The campaign period was not one day as stated in the article, it was six days. The writer also implied that there were irregularities involved at the law faculty’s election (as there was a re-election held at the faculty), but this was not true,” he said.Whether it was "six days" (which I think isn't accurate either) or "one day", the basic substance of Azmi's contention isn't compromised. And the Minister did not explain how the total votes in the Law Faculty was greater than the number of voters, if alleged "irregularities" was not the reason!
It is a sad day for the academia, and a sad day for Universiti Malaya when one of the best academics in the university in terms of having the interest of students, youths and the quality of education at heart, has been barred from writing for the benefit of the public.
Azmi once told me that he has never been "disturbed" by university authorities for his outspokenness, even during the reign of the former vice-chancellor. However, it looks like all good things do come to an end, and it's unfortunate that the expectations of greater academic freedom under the new reign of Datuk Rafiah Salim has evaporated so quickly.
Read more on Kian Ming's take on the issue here.
Monday, December 4, 2006
Secondary School Race Quotas
I wanted to blog on this issue when I first saw a complaint letter from a concerned parent in Tampin, Negeri Sembilan published in the Star two weeks back.
Such classes, apparently will have the quota in place, similar to the MRSMs whereby it's allowed to admit only up to 10% of non-bumiputeras. In addition, the qualification criteria for such class is 5As for bumiputera students, and 7As for non-bumiputera students in the Primary 6 UPSR examinations.
Such a policy in itself, is a highly discriminating policy which justifies the harshest of criticisms.
However, it was left to the effervescent Sdr Lim Kit Siang who provided the necessary evidence in the form of minutes and directives from the State Education Department in Parliament to prove that the said programme isn't just limited to a class in each school, but entire three "national schools" in Negeri Sembilan - SMK King George V, Seremban, SMK Tuanku Muhammad, Kuala Pilah dan SMK Tunku Besar, Tampin. Hence, instead of "Kelas Rancangan Khas", it became "Sekolah Rancangan Khas".
So, despite the Government's discriminatory allocation of RM709 million to build new MRSMs in the country which catered disproportionately towards the bumiputera community as announced by the Minister of Education, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein recently, it appears that the MRSM programmes are cannibalising the national schools as well.
Thanks to our Parliamentary Opposition Leader, the Ministry of Education has retracted the circular by the Negeri Sembilan State Education Department, claiming that they were "never consulted". As reported in the New Straits Times:
And if there are indeed proper governance and accountability controls in place within the Ministry, then surely rogue elements such as State Education Director, Haji A. Hamid bin Abu Hassan must be punished for breaching such controls and acted discriminatorily against national interests.
Will Haji A. Hamid be punished and reprimanded accordingly, not only for the wrong he did, but also to serve as a warning to other State Education officials to avoid such overzealous discriminatory and marginalisation policies? Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, will you act responsibly and justifiably?
IT has come to my attention that of many other parents that beginning next year, all Form One classes of SMK Tunku Besar, Tampin, in Negri Sembilan, will be formed with the ratio of 90:10 favouring the bumiputras.Originally, it was explained by the Deputy Minister of Education, Datuk Noh Omar that there'll only be one such "Kelas Rancangan Khas" (Special Programme Class) in each of the schools to cater to top students who failed to gain entry into the boarding schools, or the Maktab Rendah Sains Malaysia (MRSM).
Such classes, apparently will have the quota in place, similar to the MRSMs whereby it's allowed to admit only up to 10% of non-bumiputeras. In addition, the qualification criteria for such class is 5As for bumiputera students, and 7As for non-bumiputera students in the Primary 6 UPSR examinations.
Such a policy in itself, is a highly discriminating policy which justifies the harshest of criticisms.
However, it was left to the effervescent Sdr Lim Kit Siang who provided the necessary evidence in the form of minutes and directives from the State Education Department in Parliament to prove that the said programme isn't just limited to a class in each school, but entire three "national schools" in Negeri Sembilan - SMK King George V, Seremban, SMK Tuanku Muhammad, Kuala Pilah dan SMK Tunku Besar, Tampin. Hence, instead of "Kelas Rancangan Khas", it became "Sekolah Rancangan Khas".
So, despite the Government's discriminatory allocation of RM709 million to build new MRSMs in the country which catered disproportionately towards the bumiputera community as announced by the Minister of Education, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein recently, it appears that the MRSM programmes are cannibalising the national schools as well.
Thanks to our Parliamentary Opposition Leader, the Ministry of Education has retracted the circular by the Negeri Sembilan State Education Department, claiming that they were "never consulted". As reported in the New Straits Times:
Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said yesterday that a circular issued by the Negri Sembilan Education Department imposing a race quota for three of its schools would be retracted immediately as it was not a decision by the ministry and was against the nation's agenda for integration.The question then which I have is, if indeed the Ministry was unaware of the shennigans in its own state education departments, who seem to possess the uncanny ability to issue directives against national policies, there appears to be a major governance and accountability issues within the Ministry of Education.
And if there are indeed proper governance and accountability controls in place within the Ministry, then surely rogue elements such as State Education Director, Haji A. Hamid bin Abu Hassan must be punished for breaching such controls and acted discriminatorily against national interests.
Will Haji A. Hamid be punished and reprimanded accordingly, not only for the wrong he did, but also to serve as a warning to other State Education officials to avoid such overzealous discriminatory and marginalisation policies? Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, will you act responsibly and justifiably?
Other universities under the spotlight
OK, after highlighting the inadequacies of the profile of certain facilitators at KDMC here and here, I thought it would only be fair to examine other universities in Malaysia, both private and public.
(Incidentally, despite alerting the executive director of KMDC, the profiles of their facilitators have not been changed in regards to how they list their qualifications or the description of their job experience)
Over the course of the next few weeks, I'll be looking at the CVs of teaching faculty in selected public and private universities in Malaysia notably the Universty of Nottingham's Malaysian campus, Monash's Sunway campus, MMU, UKM, USM and UM.
From my cursory web searches, these are some of my initial impressions:
1) The qualifications of the teaching faculty in these universities are legit (especially compared to the ones we've seen listed in KDMC)
2) The public universities do not list the full CVs of their teaching faculty (this is standard practice in the US) and that most of the private universities DO list the full CVs of their teaching faculty
3) There is a practice of having Associate Professors who do not have PhDs in both the public and private universities (this is very uncommon in the US although this could be justified if the person in question has an extensive publication record)
4) The private universities listed here do have active research agendas among its teaching faculty
I'll also try to highlight and compare some of the departments which I'm more familiar with and come up with some simple recommendations moving forward.
First up, USM.
(Incidentally, despite alerting the executive director of KMDC, the profiles of their facilitators have not been changed in regards to how they list their qualifications or the description of their job experience)
Over the course of the next few weeks, I'll be looking at the CVs of teaching faculty in selected public and private universities in Malaysia notably the Universty of Nottingham's Malaysian campus, Monash's Sunway campus, MMU, UKM, USM and UM.
From my cursory web searches, these are some of my initial impressions:
1) The qualifications of the teaching faculty in these universities are legit (especially compared to the ones we've seen listed in KDMC)
2) The public universities do not list the full CVs of their teaching faculty (this is standard practice in the US) and that most of the private universities DO list the full CVs of their teaching faculty
3) There is a practice of having Associate Professors who do not have PhDs in both the public and private universities (this is very uncommon in the US although this could be justified if the person in question has an extensive publication record)
4) The private universities listed here do have active research agendas among its teaching faculty
I'll also try to highlight and compare some of the departments which I'm more familiar with and come up with some simple recommendations moving forward.
First up, USM.
Sunday, December 3, 2006
Perdana Leadership Foundation essay competition
I've plugged this competition before and I'll do it again, on behalf of a friend of mine who works in the Perdana Leadership Foundation. The Foundation is having an essay competition centering on the theme of “Nurturing the Minds of Future Leaders”. It is open to students from the secondary school level up to the undergraduate level. You can find out more details here.
I've asked my friend if we could publish some of the winning entries once they have been announced. I've cut and pasted my friend's email below giving more detailed instructions:
Prizes offered include the Proton Savvy for tertiary students, a Modenas scooter for upper secondary students and a mountain bicycle for lower secondary students. They also include laptop computers, iPods, and mobile phones, and MPH book vouchers.
The contest is divided into three categories: Lower Secondary, Upper Secondary and Tertiary (Undergraduates up to the age of 25) with three essay questions for each category, and a suggested list of resources, as below.
The objective is to encourage thinking and writing skills, as well as stimulate interest in Malaysian history.
Lower Secondary Level (700 – 1,000 words)
Select one of Malaysia ’s past Prime Ministers and discuss his contributions to the country.
Pilih seorang bekas Perdana Menteri Malaysia dan bincangkan sumbangan-sumbangan beliau kepada negara.
Suggested Resources
Tunku Abdul Rahman: memoir politik / Shariff Ahmad
Tunku: his life and times / William Shaw
Tun Razak: jejak bertapak seorang patriot / Zainuddin Maidin
Tun Razak: prince of Titiwangsa / Shariff Ahmad
Tun Hussein Onn / Siti Mariam Daud
Tun Hussein Onn: Bapa Perpaduan = Father of Unity / Abdul Rahman Shaari
Dr. Mahathir Mohamad Perdana Menteri kita: Era Permodenan & Globalisasi / S. Hashim Ahmad
Mahathir memartabatkan maruah bangsa / Amidah Hamim
Federal Constitution, revised in 2002 / The Commisioner of Law Revision, Malaysia
The Malaysian System of Government / Dr. Mahathir Mohamad
The Constitution of Malaysia : Its development 1957-1977 / edited by Tun Mohamed Suffian, HP Lee & FA Trindade
These references are available at Perdana Library. The full text of books can be accessed only in hard copy at the Perdana Library. News clippings and speeches can be viewed online via our Perdana Library website (http://library.perdana.org.my).
Upper Secondary Level (1000 – 1,500 words)
As a multiracial society, Malaysia faces challenges to maintain stability and harmony. Discuss how to develop a united Malaysian nation.
Sebagai sebuah negara yang bersifat majmuk, Malaysia menghadapi cabaran untuk memelihara kestabilan dan keharmonian. Bincangkan bagaimana untuk mewujudkan bangsa Malaysia yang bersatu padu.
Suggested Resources
Malaysia : pertumbuhan dan keadilan dalam masyarakat majmuk / Kevin Young
Masyarakat Malaysia : tinjauan dan perbincangan terhadap beberapa isu dan topik semasa / disunting oleh Zuraina Majid
May 13: before and after / Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra al-Haj
Nation building in Malaysia 1946 – 1974 / James P. Ongkili
Dynamics of nation building / J.E. Jayasuriya
Tunku Abdul Rahman - Dr Mahathir Mohamad: ke arah perpaduan / Idris Tulis
Federal Constitution, revised in 2002 / The Commisioner of Law Revision, Malaysia
The Malaysian System of Government / Dr. Mahathir Mohamad
The Constitution of Malaysia : Its development 1957-1977 / edited by Tun Mohamed Suffian, HP Lee & FA Trindade
Tertiary Level (1,500 - 2,000 Words)
Five lessons we can learn from the history of Malaysia , from Merdeka to the present day.
Lima pengajaran yang dapat dipelajari dari sejarah Malaysia, sejak Merdeka hingga ke hari ini.
Suggested Resources
Malaysia : sejarah kenegaraan dan politik / penyelenggara, Abdul Rahman Hj Ismail
21st century Malaysia : challenges and strategies in attaining vision 2020 / edited by Michael Yeoh
Malaysia in transition: politics and society / Abdul Razak Baginda
Malaysia ’s economic development: policy and reform / edited by Jomo K.S. and Ng Suew Kiat
Five men and five ideas: building national identity / Hng Hung Yong
Federal Constitution, revised in 2002 / The Commisioner of Law Revision, Malaysia
The Malaysian System of Government / Dr. Mahathir Mohamad
The Constitution of Malaysia : Its development 1957-1977 / edited by Tun Mohamed Suffian, HP Lee & FA Trindade
Malaysia 's political economy / Edmund Terence Gomez and Jomo K. Sundaram
Government & Society in Malaysia / Harold Crouch
A Malaysian journey / Rehman Rashid
These references are available at Perdana Library. The full text of books can be accessed only in hard copy at the Perdana Library. News clippings and speeches can be viewed online via our Perdana Library website (http://library.perdana.org.my). Our Library's opening hours are from 9am to 5.30pm, Mondays to Fridays. Contact Encik Adnan (03-8885 8940 or adnan@perdana.org.my. This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it ) or Encik Munawar (03-8885 8954 or munawar@perdana.org.my. This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it ) for further information.
I've asked my friend if we could publish some of the winning entries once they have been announced. I've cut and pasted my friend's email below giving more detailed instructions:
Prizes offered include the Proton Savvy for tertiary students, a Modenas scooter for upper secondary students and a mountain bicycle for lower secondary students. They also include laptop computers, iPods, and mobile phones, and MPH book vouchers.
The contest is divided into three categories: Lower Secondary, Upper Secondary and Tertiary (Undergraduates up to the age of 25) with three essay questions for each category, and a suggested list of resources, as below.
The objective is to encourage thinking and writing skills, as well as stimulate interest in Malaysian history.
Lower Secondary Level (700 – 1,000 words)
Select one of Malaysia ’s past Prime Ministers and discuss his contributions to the country.
Pilih seorang bekas Perdana Menteri Malaysia dan bincangkan sumbangan-sumbangan beliau kepada negara.
Suggested Resources
Tunku Abdul Rahman: memoir politik / Shariff Ahmad
Tunku: his life and times / William Shaw
Tun Razak: jejak bertapak seorang patriot / Zainuddin Maidin
Tun Razak: prince of Titiwangsa / Shariff Ahmad
Tun Hussein Onn / Siti Mariam Daud
Tun Hussein Onn: Bapa Perpaduan = Father of Unity / Abdul Rahman Shaari
Dr. Mahathir Mohamad Perdana Menteri kita: Era Permodenan & Globalisasi / S. Hashim Ahmad
Mahathir memartabatkan maruah bangsa / Amidah Hamim
Federal Constitution, revised in 2002 / The Commisioner of Law Revision, Malaysia
The Malaysian System of Government / Dr. Mahathir Mohamad
The Constitution of Malaysia : Its development 1957-1977 / edited by Tun Mohamed Suffian, HP Lee & FA Trindade
These references are available at Perdana Library. The full text of books can be accessed only in hard copy at the Perdana Library. News clippings and speeches can be viewed online via our Perdana Library website (http://library.perdana.org.my).
Upper Secondary Level (1000 – 1,500 words)
As a multiracial society, Malaysia faces challenges to maintain stability and harmony. Discuss how to develop a united Malaysian nation.
Sebagai sebuah negara yang bersifat majmuk, Malaysia menghadapi cabaran untuk memelihara kestabilan dan keharmonian. Bincangkan bagaimana untuk mewujudkan bangsa Malaysia yang bersatu padu.
Suggested Resources
Malaysia : pertumbuhan dan keadilan dalam masyarakat majmuk / Kevin Young
Masyarakat Malaysia : tinjauan dan perbincangan terhadap beberapa isu dan topik semasa / disunting oleh Zuraina Majid
May 13: before and after / Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra al-Haj
Nation building in Malaysia 1946 – 1974 / James P. Ongkili
Dynamics of nation building / J.E. Jayasuriya
Tunku Abdul Rahman - Dr Mahathir Mohamad: ke arah perpaduan / Idris Tulis
Federal Constitution, revised in 2002 / The Commisioner of Law Revision, Malaysia
The Malaysian System of Government / Dr. Mahathir Mohamad
The Constitution of Malaysia : Its development 1957-1977 / edited by Tun Mohamed Suffian, HP Lee & FA Trindade
Tertiary Level (1,500 - 2,000 Words)
Five lessons we can learn from the history of Malaysia , from Merdeka to the present day.
Lima pengajaran yang dapat dipelajari dari sejarah Malaysia, sejak Merdeka hingga ke hari ini.
Suggested Resources
Malaysia : sejarah kenegaraan dan politik / penyelenggara, Abdul Rahman Hj Ismail
21st century Malaysia : challenges and strategies in attaining vision 2020 / edited by Michael Yeoh
Malaysia in transition: politics and society / Abdul Razak Baginda
Malaysia ’s economic development: policy and reform / edited by Jomo K.S. and Ng Suew Kiat
Five men and five ideas: building national identity / Hng Hung Yong
Federal Constitution, revised in 2002 / The Commisioner of Law Revision, Malaysia
The Malaysian System of Government / Dr. Mahathir Mohamad
The Constitution of Malaysia : Its development 1957-1977 / edited by Tun Mohamed Suffian, HP Lee & FA Trindade
Malaysia 's political economy / Edmund Terence Gomez and Jomo K. Sundaram
Government & Society in Malaysia / Harold Crouch
A Malaysian journey / Rehman Rashid
These references are available at Perdana Library. The full text of books can be accessed only in hard copy at the Perdana Library. News clippings and speeches can be viewed online via our Perdana Library website (http://library.perdana.org.my). Our Library's opening hours are from 9am to 5.30pm, Mondays to Fridays. Contact Encik Adnan (03-8885 8940 or adnan@perdana.org.my. This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it ) or Encik Munawar (03-8885 8954 or munawar@perdana.org.my. This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it ) for further information.
Australians to Study in Malaysia?
In a statement which obviously defied belief when I first read it, I wonder why our Ministers must sometimes make such cringe-inducing statements which will only put us on the map for international ridicule.
Apparently, "Malaysia is working out ways to correct the imbalance of student exchange between Malaysia and Australia" according to our Minister of Higher Education, Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamad.
Australia has more than 10 universities in the World's Top 200 based on the survey by Times Higher Education Supplement (THES), while Malaysia has only 2 which barely made the cut. Now, is there a wonder why there are hardly any Australian students here? Hmmm...
Apparently, "Malaysia is working out ways to correct the imbalance of student exchange between Malaysia and Australia" according to our Minister of Higher Education, Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamad.
He said the number of Malaysian students studying in Australia way outnumbered the number of Australians studying in Malaysia. There are some 15,000 Malaysians studying in Australia compared with only two Australian students at the International Islamic University in Malaysia.Yes, exactly, how are we going to do that?
"We are hoping to attract more Australian students to study in Malaysia," he said without elaborating on the ways Malaysia was hoping to do that.
Australia has more than 10 universities in the World's Top 200 based on the survey by Times Higher Education Supplement (THES), while Malaysia has only 2 which barely made the cut. Now, is there a wonder why there are hardly any Australian students here? Hmmm...
Saturday, December 2, 2006
Postgrad Scholarships Only to Top Universities
In a surprising but welcomed move by the Ministry of Higher Education, Datuk Mustapa Mohamed announced that "the Government will only sponsor post-graduates for top prestigious schools abroad under a plan to produce quality professionals and to raise the standard of university lecturers."
Even the universities which undergraduates are being set to are also being reviewed, although the Minister did highlight that the rule will be more strictly enforced for postgraduates programmes.
As far as I'm concerned, this is an excellent move, if implemented accordingly. The next thing which is necessary, to encourage transparency and some form of consistency, is for the Ministry to announce the Universities which are pre-approved for specific postgraduate programmes.
A good mechanism which will take away "arbitrary" decisions by the often bungling Ministry officials, is to rely on certain set international benchmarks. For example, these top universities can be defined as universities which are recognised as the Top 50 in either the Times Higher Education Supplement (THES) or the Shanghai JiaoTung University global university rankings table. These tables are not perfect, but they will certainly be a lot more objective than any list compiled by the local officials.
I can imagine however, the level of resistance to this policy which may come from vested interest parties, particularly those local academics who are unable to secure places in these instutions. The backlash may happen if the new ruling results in severely dampening the government's efforts to increase the number of PhD holders in the local universities.
I, and I'm certain my blog partner, Kian Ming, will implore Datuk Mustapa to stick to his guns and avoid pursuing a short-term and detrimental policy of increasing the quantity of PhD academics at the expense of quality.
Even the universities which undergraduates are being set to are also being reviewed, although the Minister did highlight that the rule will be more strictly enforced for postgraduates programmes.
As far as I'm concerned, this is an excellent move, if implemented accordingly. The next thing which is necessary, to encourage transparency and some form of consistency, is for the Ministry to announce the Universities which are pre-approved for specific postgraduate programmes.
A good mechanism which will take away "arbitrary" decisions by the often bungling Ministry officials, is to rely on certain set international benchmarks. For example, these top universities can be defined as universities which are recognised as the Top 50 in either the Times Higher Education Supplement (THES) or the Shanghai JiaoTung University global university rankings table. These tables are not perfect, but they will certainly be a lot more objective than any list compiled by the local officials.
I can imagine however, the level of resistance to this policy which may come from vested interest parties, particularly those local academics who are unable to secure places in these instutions. The backlash may happen if the new ruling results in severely dampening the government's efforts to increase the number of PhD holders in the local universities.
I, and I'm certain my blog partner, Kian Ming, will implore Datuk Mustapa to stick to his guns and avoid pursuing a short-term and detrimental policy of increasing the quantity of PhD academics at the expense of quality.
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