I've also paid special attention to education issues in parliament, hoping to eke out answers from the Ministers on the various issues which has been raised by the bloggers and readers here. Unfortunately I still have to fight for attention in the Dewan to get a chance to question the Ministers, I did managed to do so on a handful of occasions.
Of interest is the on-off-on-off vague issue of a vice-chancellor selection committee which has been the subject of discussion on this blog for the past 2 years already.
Over the past 2 sessions, the Minister of Higher Education, Datuk Khaled Nordin has stated that there will be a vice-chancellor selection committee being set up without providing any details. I pursued the matter, as recorded in the Hansard on the 9th July:
Tuan Pua Kiam Wee [Petaling Jaya Utara]: Terima kasih Tuan Yang di-Pertua. Tadi
menteri telah membangkitkan satu Jawatankuasa Pemilihan bagi naib canselor. Saya hendak minta penjelasan sedikit, adakah shortlist yang dibuat oleh jawatankuasa ini akan diberikan daripada kementerian ataupun shortlist akan dicari ataupun disediakan oleh jawatankuasa ini dan apakah kuasa yang diberi kepada jawatankuasa ini?
Adakah ia akan diberikan kuasa supaya dapat membuat advertisement di suratkhabar-
suratkhabar seluruh dunia untuk mencari calon-calon yang terbaik untuk menjadi naib canselor universiti kita? Terima kasih.
Dato’ Seri Mohamed Khaled bin Nordin: Ia boleh dilakukan melalui kedua-dua cara.
Satu daripada top down daripada kementerian dan satu lagi daripada Select Committee dan dari segi tatacara dan sebagainya, kita belum lagi memikirkan secara mendalam sama ada ingin membuat pengiklanan seluruh dunia dan sebagainya ataupun tidak, kerana semua itu akan mula dilakukan setelah kita buat pindaan kepada Akta Universiti dan Kolej Universiti yang mempunyai ataupun yang akan menyentuh mengenai perkara tersebut.
In short, that means that there's still no authoritative details on how this committee will work, whether there will be strong interference from the Ministry, on the process of recruitment and just about everything else about the selection committee. Its a little unfortunately that despite this committee being talked about since the previous 2 higher education ministers, we still have to wait for the next parliamentary session before we hear new developments.
At the speed the Ministry is moving, its not surprising that our institutions of higher education isn't going to get any better any time soon.
Often I wonder if having the vice chancellor selection commitee does any good as judging from the results we always end up with mediocre candidates to head our universities.
ReplyDeleteIf it be so this is a feeble attempt to bring quality and standard to our university. The vice chancellor selection committee is just a waste of time and rakyaat money if the candidates they choose are not up to the mark or are politically influenced
Maybe just cut the crap and select any candidate the government chooses without remote controlling by using the vice chancellor committee as scape goat. At least don't waste our poor rakyaat money and dashing our hopes!
Malaysia VC selection committee :
ReplyDelete1. Draft selection rules
2. Throw away selection rules. "Seeks advice" for political/umno cronies preference candidates
3. appoint political preference candidates
4.??????
5. Profit!!!!!!!
;)
The service of the current UM's VC is due for renewal or termination. Her service has been extended for a limited period.
ReplyDeleteWill she be replaced by someone who is favored by Umno? For example, will the ex-VC of Unisel (recently sacked and out of job) return gloriously to UM?