Leave University of Malaya (MU) Alone
August 18, 2011
Leave the Vice Chancellor, UM alone to get on with his Duty to MU and its Alumni
by Din Merican
As an alumnus of MU/UM (Class of 1963), I am encouraged to learn that under Vice Chancellor Professor Dr. Gauth Jasmon, the University of Malaya’s global ranking has improved and will continue to get better in the coming years if he is allowed to ensure that only the best professors and lecturers are engaged in research and teaching in the Pantai Valley campus.
146 of the University’s teaching staff have resigned. So what? As far as I am concerned, that is good news since the rot is being removed. Finally.
I do not discount that some of the academic staff may have left for better prospects elsewhere or to pursue their research overseas. If that is the case, then the Board of the university should review its scheme of service. So, I expect Professor Azmi Shahrom and the Academic Staff Association and MU alumni to stand with the University Administration, and support the Vice Chancellor’s cultural change agenda.
The grounds for their resignations are not known at this stage, but one can say with some degree of confidence is that this “mass resignation” over a period of time is due to the Vice Chancellor’s stringent demands that they undertake research and publish their work in referred journals and improve their teaching skills.
I heard of this from some of my academic friends at the University, but they–and I do not wish to mention their names to avoid any embarrassment– have no problems in complying with the Vice Chancellor’s requirements. This is because they are truly outstanding teachers and researchers with books and articles in top quality academic journals to their credit. If you are really good, you have nothing to fear.
The culture of “publish or perish” is like a refreshing birth of fresh air blowing over the MU campus in Pantai Valley, Kuala Lumpur. It has taken a long time in coming but now that Professor Dr. Jasmon has taken this bold step of demanding high academic and research standards, he must be supported to complete the job.
Politicians and Utusan Malaysia should stay out and not meddle in the affairs of the century old MU. In stead, they should endorse attempts to make MU the role model of what is possible in academia in our country.
Vacant places now available as a result of this fallout should be available to academicians of high calibre. If necessary, MU should go abroad to recruit them– and this has been done (see Malaysiakini report below). It is time that we revamp our universities, and I am glad my alma mater started this cultural change.
We need academicians who are committed to research and teaching, not those who just “makan gaji” and recycle their lecture notes and promote worn out ideas and use old and worn out pedagogy. To the Vice Chancellor, I say well done. Change is not easy but you must persist.
I would like to dedicate this famous quote from Niccolo Machiavelli to you. The Florentine Diplomat of antiquity had this to say about culture change:
“It must be considered that there is nothing more difficult to carry out, nor more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to handle, than to initiate a new order of things. For the reformer has enemies in all those who profit by the old order, and only lukewarm defenders in all those who would profit by the new order, this lukewarmness arising partly from fear of their adversaries, who have the laws in their favour; and partly from the incredulity of mankind, who do not truly believe in anything new until they have had actual experience of it. Thus it arises that on every opportunity for attacking the reformer, his opponents do so with the zeal of partisans, the others only defend him half-heartedly, so that between them he runs great danger.”–Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince
Vice-Chancellor: UM crisis report not correct
Wong Teck Chi@www.malaysiakini.com
August 18, 11
12:57pm
Universiti Malaya (UM) Vice-Chancellor Ghauth Jasmon today denied the university is in a crisis following mass resignation of its academic staff in protest against his leadership.
UMNO-owned Utusan Malaysia reported on its front page today that 146 UM academic staff had resigned since 2009.
“The report is not correct on the figure. At 10.30am tomorrow, the university will release the true figure,” said Ghauth (left), who has a background in engineering.
Quoting UM Academic Staff Association president Associate Prof Azmi Sharom, Utusan said the university had slipped into a crisis after 146 of its academicians, including professors and associate professors, resigned in protest against Ghauth’s new academic policy,which is centred on university ranking.
Among those who resigned, 52 were academicians from the Faculty of Medicine, 12 from the Faculty of Business and Accountancy, 10 from the Faculty of Science and eight from the Faculty of Engineering, the daily said.
Utusan also said the university later hired 576 new lecturers, 80 percent of from other countries such as Bangladesh, Nigeria, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, India and Jordan, and sidelining local senior lecturers.
In a telephone interview with Malaysiakini this morning, Ghauth defended his policy, which requires UM academicians to publish more articles in world-recognised journals.
“The people who are happy with me are more than those not happy, because I am transforming
UM to become a university of a higher quaility,” he said.
“We are getting good staff from all over the world, so that UM can go up in the world ranking. This will create a good name for Malaysia as a world class centre of education.”
Ghauth said he explained this to Higher Education Minister Khaled Nordin in Putrajaya this morning and Khaled advised him to call a press conference to give the correct figures, so that the people would know what was happening.
Azmi also refuted the Utusan report, saying that he never made the statement attributed to him and that he was a victim of “misquotes” by the newspaper.
He said the daily’s report was based on a press conference held by a group of UM lecturers who were not happy with the policy on the publishing of articles in ‘world class journals’.
“I was there only briefly, to tell the reporter that academic staff association members were speaking under the auspices of the association as they were worried that action would be taken against them under the University and University Colleges Act.”
‘University softened its stand’
Azmi said the controversial part of the policy was the requirement for lecturers to publish a certain number of articles in ISI journals, which are used by QS Quacquarelli Symonds in its ranking of universities all over the world.
“To the university, even if you come out with a lot of articles and they are not published in ISI journals, the university will not look at them.
“However, there can be some good articles in other forms, like books, monographs and so on, which they are ignoring.” Azmi said the academic staff understood the need to improve the standard of MU, but the staff association believes the ranking of the university should not be the basis of the university policy.
“Academia is very diverse The people who do the ranking have a narrow understanding and this does not take into account the very diverse ways in which quality can be measured.”
After the staff association complained to the Vice-Chancellor, he said, the university softened the policy and started to take into account other publications of the academic staff. Azmi also said he would instruct the association secretary to send a letter to Utusan urging it to withdraw its incorrect report.
If the lecturers refuse to do research, they should just be school teachers.We need the best minds and role models to develop our pool of talent and smart Malaysians. I am glad the MU VC is cleaning the clog on campus of poor quality and unmotivated academic staff. This is the only way for MU to regain its pride of place in academia. We must promote research and innovation. Leave the VC alone and let him do his job. The Minister of Higher Education must make his stand. Utusan Malaysia should butt off. It has done enough damage to the country with its pro-Melayu agenda.
eiz235 - August 18, 2011 at 9:22 pm
Oh my, trouble in the ivory tower. Some weeks back it was University Selangor. The Sultan had to step in. It is more sad since UM is the most prestigious varsity.
Hope Muhyiddin and Khaled Nordin will confer with the VC to find an amicable solution. There surely must be dissatisfaction if several of the academicians have left. Universities must be truly autonomous.
__________
No, Jeff. Leave the MU VC alone to do his job. Butt off, politicians.–Din Merican
Jeff the Man - August 18, 2011 at 9:47 pm
I agree with you Din. Only academicians know how to run Unis.
Jeff the Man - August 18, 2011 at 10:13 pm
I wonder why university professors need to make a statement, of all papers, to Utusan. That is a trash paper.
Sam01 - August 18, 2011 at 10:33 pm
Research? What research..?!
ISI journals need otak berisi and originality, A rare commodity, for bodekers and carma types. Yet they will torture any aspiring post graduate candidate – because their standards are deemed ‘high’..
Academics can sometimes be pits of irrelevance and have very thin skins, but at least UM is trying.
Which begs the question: Why have universities when our idealistic youth are discouraged from questioning? Scrap the UUCA!
C.L. Familiaris - August 18, 2011 at 11:44 pm
My uncle who’s a professor in UM told me that there are a lot of good professors who went away to find greener pastures elsewhere. I happened to meet one professor upon finishing his sabbatical at my university ran away from UM to the Middle-East. Both my uncle and he complained that it was very difficult to concentrate on the academic part at UM when you are saddled with the administrative work and other trivial matters. Now my uncle is telling my cousin that if he wants to join the academia, he’d be better off in the States.
UM has hired a lot of foreign professors but if they can do the job, why stop them? Bar the lack of English proficiency among some of them, my uncle feels these professors are more interested in academic than politics. Which is the way it’s supposed to be.
___________
Didi, enforce strict student to professor ratio. This means that student entrance requirements must be strictly be enforced. During my time, professors encouraged independent study. There were seminars and tutorials, in addition to lectures. We spent more time in the library than at the lecture theater.–Din Merican
didi - August 19, 2011 at 12:06 am
Yes get rid of all the KANGKUNG PROFESSORS in MU… sack them, make them redundant or pay them off. They spend more time playing the politics of UMNO and carrying the balls of the Minister of Higher Education. These academic staff are a blot and a disgrace to the University. These lecturers should seek alternative employment… selling nasi lemak.
Frank - August 19, 2011 at 1:50 am
The Union of Nasi Lemak Sellers will not be happy to hear. Suggest you withdraw your proposal.
Mr Bean - August 19, 2011 at 2:46 am
I thought the Union of Nasi Lemak Sellers will be mighty proud to have Ph.Ds and titled Professors amongst their midst.
These kangkung Professors can help to improve and expand the nasi lemak industry, doing sociological research of consumers, nutritional studies, market studies and chemical analysis of the ingredients of nasi lemak. In fact, they can organise some kind of a Master Chef series on nasi lemak varieties on RTM.
They will be most useful to act as the crony-link to the UMNOputras for free land space, and contracts to help expand the nasi lemak industry throughout south east asia. That is the LEAST they can do since they did NOTHING to improve the image of the University of Malaya.
Frank - August 19, 2011 at 4:05 am
Why have universities when our idealistic youth are discouraged from questioning? -C.L. Familiaris
Silly question. Need to create jobs for those plane loads of JPA scholars coming back with questionable Ph Ds. These kangkung professors were NOT discouraged from questioning… they were brilliantly brainwashed by the pariah UMNO leaders through BTN not to question. Questioning is HARAM in UMNO’s version of Islam.
Frank - August 19, 2011 at 4:11 am
Yes! Go for it VC Gauth. I was in UM from 2007-2010 and encountered so many ‘Kangkung Lecturers’ with ‘gaji buta’. They are not doing any good to the undegrads there but merely bullshitting in the lecture halls. Some of them don’t even know the basics of the courses and yet they are allowed to teach! In some cases, a few of them even have the cheek to enter the lecture hall and talk for 5 minutes only and then ‘belah’.
Their English proficiency is PATHETIC! I still remember one of the lecturer couldn’t even read the notes properly which he downloaded from the internet! Please give us a break. Use BM if you are so weak in English! MALU! I felt for him.
___________
Thanks, Kelvin, for the feedback.
It is these types you mentioned who are probably using Utusan Malaysia to give MU bad publicity.They also have UMNO connections. I would sack them, but I think the VC is more humane than I.
MU must be given the independence to select professors and lecturers of top quality. Never compromise on standards. The criteria for tenure must be stringent and those who are granted professorships must be required to deliver their inaugural lectures.
Entrance requirements for undergraduate courses should be reviewed to ensure quality. UCCA should be abolished. You need good quality curricula, professors and students.
For a 100+ year old Uni, MU does have its attractions for foreign talent to come, teach and do research.So attracting talent is not a problem. –Din Merican
Kelvin KF Ng - August 19, 2011 at 4:56 am
good call but i dont’ think that that ranking will do UM or other local universities any good! I am an academician myself. I like to do research and has done a lot actually. The problem with that so called policy is that
don’t burden to much academician with a lot of administrative works which meddling with the nature of academician task.
I’ve been appointed with so many unrelated task of an academician in my 20 years of teaching in a university; which I found it is beyond my so called duties and responsibility. In addition, a lot of meeting almost every week that also can a source of hindering capacity and time to do research.
I am sadden to hear and know some of the professor at UM that resign/leave UM probably for better reason. I hope that the so called new lecturer that the VC hired from whatever countries also can provides a lot of energy and publish a lot of Scopus or ISI indexed journal. If not, then sack them also.
By the way, the VC also should shows some understanding and also some sympathy as it is not easy to publish in an international indexed journal. And perhaps the VC should also provides some example by disseminating the evidences that he also published his research in an international journal rather than asking all of his staff to do it but he has done nothing.
I hope that UM and other local be it private or public can strive to excell in everything related to tertiary education – be it teaching, publishing, and research.
___________
That is why I suggested that the students to professor ratio should be scrupulously controlled. That means the entrance qualifications must be high to ensure that only the best can go to university. Not everyone can go to university unless he or she reaches a certain academic standard. Good secretaries whose job is administrative should be provided to professors. Research assistants should also be available to them. –Din Merican
malaun - August 19, 2011 at 8:32 am
One can safely assume that those who are not happy, or more likely afraid are those who can’t perform. We all know that many lecturers were appointed to their jobs because of connection to the ruling party and those in power. In other words, bypassing those who are more capable and suited for the posts. I say let the VC do his job otherwise UM will remain at the bottom of university ranking. Give this man a chance to do something good for a change. Those who can’t take the heat, stop whining just leave and find yourselves another job where you can lay back and be non-productive.
imwatchingu - August 19, 2011 at 9:02 am
I have had occasion to meet and share a platform with the VC, Dr. Ghauth and I thought what a splendid man he was and over time I thought that for once the Ministry of Higher Education had done the right thing: Dr. Ghauth I thought was an inspired choice for the once famous University of Malaya trying to regain its reputation.
In January 2007 I was invited to speak at a dinner for Malaysian Vice-Chancellors on UNIVERSITIES MUST REDEFINE THEIR ROLES, later published in My Someone Had To Say It. I said in part:
“Great universities are not born. They are made by people who have a clear understanding of the factors that contribute to academic excellence. They also have a vision of the purpose of higher education, both in the national scheme of things as well as in the larger world context.” In my book, Dr. Ghauth fits the bill.
Tunku Abdul Aziz - August 19, 2011 at 10:27 am
YM Tunku, they don’t make people like you anymore. It is our loss.
Jeff the Man - August 19, 2011 at 12:41 pm
Great Universities comprise good professors standing on research and good students who do research. UM has been driving staff out since its inception but now it is for diffferent reasons.
Anonymous - August 19, 2011 at 1:42 pm
Universiti Malaya (UM) was once a great university, comparable to any in the region. The rot started in the mid-70s when Dr Mahathir Mohamad decided that it should be another pawn in his political games.
The UUCA (Universities and University Colleges Act) was put in place, ostensibly to ensure students study (and not indulge in anti-Mahathir politics). At around the same time, the institutional ‘rape’ started in earnest with various salivating bodies like PBMUM, PMIM, Abim and a host of other ‘language societies’ jumping over each other for their share of the ‘action’.
The language of instruction and the curricula were the early and most obvious casualties, followed by the quiet but systematic purging of the very talent that had given the place its stature.
We know the results, it’s there for all to see – in the faculties, the seminar rooms and the hordes of unemployable, inarticulate graduates emerging from them. UM Vice-Chancellor Ghauth Jasmon’s Herculean task is to clean out the proverbial Aegean stables. He has as much hope of succeeding as a snowflake in hell, if he does not get the support of the alumni, the public and the UM Academic Staff Association and of course the government.
Abbot of Grand Pooba - August 19, 2011 at 2:33 pm
I am afraid the VC of UM has a near impossible task. Many academics in Malaysia have become so unethical that they will never change their ways. Also, they cannot change because they are not good enough. They will take the easy way out. Pangkat mahu tetapi malas bekerja.
As a graduate student at one of the local universities, I had to do my professor’s research and write his report.This Malay professor did not even acknowledge me. He also insisted that I must put his name in any paper that I wrote from my thesis even though the ideas and the work were mine. How low can this guy get. Tak malu.
I also have lecturers who were teaching nonsense and when some of us pointed out that to them, we were blacklisted. Some can’t even speak proper English. This is only the tip of the iceberg. The worst thing is the Ministry of Higher Education is just as corrupted and unethical by promoting these people into positions of high academic responsibility.
I am afraid the present VC of UM will be booted out soon. I will never put my children in any local university if I can help it. God Help Malaysia as it is sinking fast.
muthu - August 19, 2011 at 2:47 pm
The task entrusted upon Ghauth is not easy. Out of a sudden, UM wakes up from slumber and decides to do a catch-up game on its university ranking.
UM has been slow-paced, lacking in focus, and tolerating mediocrity. To force academic staff to suddenly running at 120 km/hr when they are at home at 60 km/hr is a tall order.
As a learned person, Ghauth should be aware of the perils that are associated with any institutional change. He can make a rule that says from now on every academic staff must publish, say, three ISI articles per year, but to comply with the new rule is not easy given the kind of culture embedded in the system.
Remember one of those outbursts from Mahathir? If the appointments of academic staff were based on meritocracy, at least 50 percent of them would have been disqualified.
Beng Chai - August 19, 2011 at 2:52 pm
Thank GOD I graduated from MU long BEFORE the university was infested with the plane-load of kangkung professors who returned with questionable Ph.Ds. and long BEFORE these kangkung professors engaged in bastaradised form of the nglish language to teach the students.
In those days, the respect for our lecturers was very high. Today, these lecturers are as good as the half-baked Utusan Malaysia editors.
Frank - August 19, 2011 at 5:00 pm
The plot is on to get rid of Vice Chancellor Professor Dr. Gauth Jasmon. He will be demonised for being anti-Malay, anti-NEP and Utusan Malaysia will call for his deportation.
The kangkung professors’ easy ride for a comfortable lifestyle in the academia is under threat. They are lining up to see their DEFENDER OF RACE, Ibrahim Ali and the DEFENDER OF iSLAM, Ezam Noor to find ways to get rid of Gauth Jasmon.
They just hate hard work, meritocracy and doing a good day’s job.
Frank - August 19, 2011 at 6:15 pm
That is why I suggested that the students to professor ratio should be scrupulously controlled. That means the entrance qualifications must be high to ensure that only the best can go to university. Not everyone can go to university unless he or she reaches a certain academic standard. Good secretaries whose job is administrative should be provided to professors. Research assistants should also be available to them. –Din Merican
But Mr. Din, they didnt allow this so called administrative work to be handled by secretaries etc – you have to do it. There are many evidence, e.g. in my case, so many lousy paperwork which nothing to do with my function as academician that I need to do.
I do support your suggestion for controlling the entrance qualifications into university. For example, in my case I have to cater for more than 300++ students for 1 course. Majority of them don’t even know that subjects let alone reading about them before class. That’s why we need to revamp our university entrance qualifications – e.g., not only academic and co-curriculum but also many aspects such as personality, motivation etc.
But can it be apply in our tertiary education system? Perhaps we need to wait for another decade for that system to be change?
malaun - August 19, 2011 at 6:30 pm
Malaun, another decade? Do it now if we are to seriously tackle the deterioration in educational quality in our country. We are in a crisis and must act accordingly since time is not on our side. The rest of the region is moving ahead, and we are now not even trying to catch up.–Din Merican
dinobeano - August 19, 2011 at 8:19 pm
We are in a crisis and must act accordingly since time is not on our side. –Din Merican
We are in more than a crisis. We are already in the deep end of the s*it hole.
I am not sure whether it is reversible given this UMNO-BN govt will do anything to keep the ketuanan melayu crap going at the expense of the young minds in the universities.
Even the Chief of the Arm Forces behave as though he is a full member of Perkasa’s paramilitary outfit, shooting off from the side of his mouth.
Frank - August 19, 2011 at 9:16 pm
Thank Mr. Din…! yup, we need to change everything now…as Frank put it very clear..we are deep end of the s*it hole.
malaun - August 20, 2011 at 11:33 am
Malaysian education systems and the academic standards and innovations of local universities are generally low as they have been politicized with colonial-era roots for too long. Unless and until they are decolonized, they won’t be able to attract talents, resolve brain drains and to achieve true meaning of academic independence with world standards.
We inherent from UK systems. The recent UK riots, airstrikes on former colonies, etc are mirrors for all to rethink and reflect …..
rightways - August 20, 2011 at 5:50 pm
Dear All,
Wish u all know the real activity at university hospital. do you think the top professor really spend much time with the students? if they spend lots of time with the research, then they will either ignore their clinical obligation towards their patients or their students. Most of the clinical activities and teaching are done by the so called young lecturers, ie the associate prof and lecturers. Lots of very good senior lecturers left UM not because they are lazy, but too much from the administration. they end up working very long hours with merely 20% of wha their coleagues in private sector are getting. Two of my close colleague left UM because this funny admin bureaucracy, but somehow they are now well done in private sector, with pay 5x more their colleague in University hospital , but most importantly they enjoy their work and doesnt need to go home late night everyday.
mohd hasrul - August 20, 2011 at 6:36 pm