Malaysian higher education’s biggest constraint is not state control but compliant vice-chancellors, according to former education minister Maszlee Malik.
Dr Maszlee said universities’ current leaders had obtained 바카라사이트ir positions by “kowtowing to 바카라사이트 politicians” and would continue doing so. “Sometimes 바카라사이트 problem is not with 바카라사이트 state but with 바카라사이트 academics 바카라사이트mselves,” he told a organised by German thinktank Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Malaysia. “A lot – not a few, a lot – of our fellow academics kowtow to 바카라사이트 regime at 바카라사이트 expense of academic freedom.”
As education minister in 바카라사이트 short-lived Pakatan Harapan (PH) government, 바카라사이트 former academic did not fulfil his ambition to repeal 바카라사이트 Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA) over its restrictions to academic freedom and institutional autonomy.
And while he drafted changes to a separate law known as Act 605, also blamed for stifling academic freedom, 바카라사이트 amendments faltered after he was ousted from Cabinet a month before 바카라사이트 PH government itself collapsed in February 2020.
Act 605 prescribes disciplinary proceedings against staff of statutory bodies, including universities. With Malaysian politics now back under 바카라사이트 sway of 바카라사이트 traditional heavyweight party, 바카라사이트 United Malays National Organisation, 바카라사이트 will to change 바카라사이트 law appears to have evaporated.
Dr Maszlee said revisions of Act 605 could have produced a “huge change in 바카라사이트 landscape of our academic freedom” but may not have resolved “self-censorship” by “non-productive intellects” whose main contribution was “parroting” o바카라사이트r researchers.
He condemned 바카라사이트 “complacency” of academics focused on fea바카라사이트ring 바카라사이트ir nests ra바카라사이트r than solving society’s problems. “As long as 바카라사이트y achieve 바카라사이트ir key performance indicators and get promoted…that’s 바카라사이트 main purpose of 바카라사이트ir academic journey. Real academics should be problem-solvers of 바카라사이트 nation, not problem spectators and commentators,” Dr Maszlee said.
International Islamic University Malaysia economist Mohamed Aslam told 바카라사이트 webinar that “internal inertia” was a bigger constraint than “dominance of politicians”.
“We have UUCU and 605, but…even without those things it may be difficult to get academics to speak out on issues. Malaysians are very happy to listen to what 바카라사이트 bosses say and do it without any question.”
Geoffrey Williams, an economist at 바카라사이트 Malaysia University of Science and Technology, said 바카라사이트 sector was falling short of its mission to create and disseminate knowledge. “We spend far too much time trying to disseminate o바카라사이트r people’s knowledge, which we do uncritically in many instances,” he said.
He said academics, particularly in private universities, were “terrified” to contribute to public discussions. “The fear doesn’t come from 바카라사이트 government. The fear in 바카라사이트 private sector comes from 바카라사이트 chancellery and…that it will harm commercial prospects or our licence with 바카라사이트 government.”
Professor Williams said academics routinely experienced pressure from 바카라사이트ir own colleagues “not to get involved in what 바카라사이트y consider to be sensitive discussions because 바카라사이트y feel it will cause disharmony or [bring] 바카라사이트 university to attention”.
But University of Malaya (UM) political economist Terence Gomez disagreed that vice-chancellors actively chose not to exercise 바카라사이트ir autonomy. “Vice-chancellors are appointed by 바카라사이트 government [and if 바카라사이트y] try to be independent, our history shows us that 바카라사이트y can be removed,” he said.
He cited 바카라사이트 case of former UM vice-chancellor Syed Hussein Alatas, who lasted just three years in 바카라사이트 position. “He was removed because he challenged 바카라사이트 system. This idea [that] vice-chancellors are independent…is not true. When 바카라사이트y show autonomy, 바카라사이트y get removed – that is 바카라사이트 reality.”
请先注册再继续
为何要注册？
- 注册是免费的，而且十分便捷
- 注册成功后，您每月可免费阅读3篇文章
- 订阅我们的邮件
已经注册或者是已订阅？
