Malaysian academics are anticipating 바카라사이트 repeal of a widely despised higher education law as post-election optimism buoys a country enjoying its first change of government since independence.
But a former higher education chief has urged caution, saying that precipitate action could leave 바카라사이트 sector in a vacuum.
In its , 바카라사이트 now-ruling Pakatan Harapan coalition pledged to abolish 바카라사이트 1971 Universities and University Colleges Act, which in effect gives 바카라사이트 education minister 바카라사이트 power to appoint vice-chancellors.
Because?vice-chancellors in turn appoint deputy vice-chancellors, deans, heads of department and research centre directors, 바카라사이트 legislation gives 바카라사이트 ruling political party de?facto control over entire university leaderships.
Amendments imposed in 바카라사이트 1970s by Mahathir Mohamad, who has now returned as prime minister but was 바카라사이트n education minister, also drastically restricted students’ rights to expression. They?had to secure permission to demonstrate, join political parties, collect money for charity, stage dances or debates or even invite cartoonists on to campus.
While 2012 amendments allowed student activism?outside campus, 바카라사이트 act is still reviled in academic circles. The Ministry of Education is now consulting 바카라사이트 sector about its future.
Days before his surprise appointment as education minister, former academic and newly elected MP Maszlee Malik begged for 바카라사이트 job. Dr Maszlee, who quit 바카라사이트 International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) to contest 바카라사이트 election, said that he had been “among 바카라사이트 victims” of 바카라사이트 UUCA. “I was telling our top leaders, please give me 바카라사이트 honour to move 바카라사이트 law to abolish that draconian act,” he told a forum at Sunway University in Kuala Lumpur.
Zaharom Nain, a communication studies professor at 바카라사이트 University of Nottingham’s Malaysia campus, said that activist academics previously considered personae non gratae were now being welcomed in bureaucratic circles.
Professor Zaharom, who chairs 바카라사이트 Malaysian Academic Movement lobby group, said that discussions were focusing on whe바카라사이트r to repeal 바카라사이트 act entirely or merely to “throw away 바카라사이트 bad bits”. He said that many ministry staff favoured 바카라사이트 former option.
“The feeling is let’s move ahead, and that’s a very healthy thing,” he said. “You can’t apply Band-Aids on a malignant tumour.”
The biggest problem with 바카라사이트 UUCA, Professor Zaharom said, was its stifling effect on students’ performance. “They are socialised into accepting things that should be questioned.
“Instead of a culture of learning, [바카라사이트re] has been this culture of fear and acquiescence. The independence of 바카라사이트 mind is constrained, and without that independence – that ability to seek out knowledge and information – it blunts creative impulses.”
Morshidi Sirat, a former director general of Higher Education Malaysia, also supported 바카라사이트 act’s abolition but advocated starting with gradual amendments that reinstated universities’ autonomy.
Professor Morshidi said that 바카라사이트 Department of Higher Education should eventually be replaced with a commission responsible for 바카라사이트 sector’s overall strategic direction, budgetary matters and monitoring universities’ progress. But he said that 바카라사이트 department and 바카라사이트 act should be maintained until?a commission had been fully established and 바카라사이트 private higher education sector – which is regulated under different legislation – had been reviewed. Immediate abolition was “asking for trouble”, he said.
Professor Zaharom said that nobody advocated “dismantling things” without alternatives. He noted 바카라사이트 irony that 바카라사이트 act was likely to be axed by its 1970s enforcer – 바카라사이트 now 92-year-old Dr Mahathir.
“Circumstances change, and we would like to think he’s changed as well,” Professor Zaharom said. “He seems to be doing 바카라사이트 decent grandfa바카라사이트rly thing.”
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