Crisis in Higher Education

On the one hand, it is great to know that substantial initiatives has been taken to assist students in our universities such as holding meets-, roadshows-, career guidance-like programmes etc

On a larger policy level, I feel the situation in our higher education institutions today are getting from bad to worse, particularly with the strict enforcement of the oppressive-styled legislation such as UUCA. The recent boycott of campus elections, issues of e-voting, altercations on campus resulting from the campus elections, akujanji, the Terence Gomez affair, Azly Rahman affair etc evidence dissatisfaction in the way our higher educations institutions are being run; particularly, when the institutions are led by political appointees rather than purely, first-class academicians.

My humble view is that we should now look at this broader picture of securing first-class graduates from our institutions to build a first-class Malaysia. Already recently a Minister has said in Parliament that the UUCA will be reviewed. We should take this impetus and press for true reform and loosen the shackes of repressive and retrogressive practices in the institutions.

Numerous complaints have been made to SUHAKAM, and memos filed. The student groups have been advised to draft a comprehensive list of complaints, and the reports taken from Malaysiakini gives dim light that the list would appear to go on for some time to come.

It is further embarrasing that the Higher Education Minister always appears unfazed or recalcitrant when questions are posed to him on these issues. In one of the cases where one student who has been suspended for more than 4 years now pending his trial of participating in an "assembly without a permit" at Masjid Negara, and where the student was acquitted, but is still now suspended due to a provision of the UUCA. The student have been writing numerous letters for a reply but have yet to receive a reply. Imagine being suspended for 4 years and then acquitted but you are still suspended because the university says you have "finished your term of education after the 4 years" (the student had only 1 year to finish his course when he was suspended) and because the UUCA says that pending an appeal against any acquittal, the student remains suspended.

Well, it’s just sad to see such situation happening in some of our local universities. I agree that our students should be given some “space” to exercise their freedom of expression and assembly. Unless the authorities wants to create a society full of “yes-men” who can’t even think on their own feet.