Thanks to Adriene for this heads-up - those who want to do a Masters degree in the UK and want to be sponsored under the Chevening scholarship, please see the details here.
Deadline is the 17th of September, that's about a month away! Good luck to those who are applying.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Friday, August 10, 2007
Shoplot School
I've been told by some that I seem to have written less "positive" things both here on this Education blog as well as over at my personal blog since I "officially" announced my decision to join the Democratic Action Party.
I can only write here to reassure you that my thinking process hasn't changed at all, and I'm not obligated to write more "opposition" posts. However, over the past year, a certain sense of pessimism seems to have set in, whereby my faith in the Government, its rhetoric versus its action (or rather non-action), leaves much less to feel "positive" about, and hence its possibly reflected in my writings.
Take the following story, just published in Malaysiakini - "Government school sets up home in double-storey shoplot", a sense of despair over our education policies will just set in.
Now, it appears clear that the Tamil community can't even depend on the Government to provide for relocation, much less the construction of new schools. What's worse, the relocation expenses had to be raised from the public!
Only yesterday, MCA President, Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting boasted of his party's 'successful' effort in having 17 Chinese primary schools relocated to more populous areas since 2004. However, there are at least another 80 schools around the country which requires reallocation, and possibly another 100 new schools to cope with the burgeoning Chinese school population. Are we now degraded to beggar politics whereby we cry with joy whenever we are offered crumbs?
We certainly hope that it will not become a trend whereby vernacular schools will be forced to raise funds from the public in order to relocate into shoplots which are clearly inadequate in terms of facilities for our young Malaysians. Our Education Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein promised fair treatment for all schools.
I can only write here to reassure you that my thinking process hasn't changed at all, and I'm not obligated to write more "opposition" posts. However, over the past year, a certain sense of pessimism seems to have set in, whereby my faith in the Government, its rhetoric versus its action (or rather non-action), leaves much less to feel "positive" about, and hence its possibly reflected in my writings.
Take the following story, just published in Malaysiakini - "Government school sets up home in double-storey shoplot", a sense of despair over our education policies will just set in.
SJK (T) Ladang Sungai Salak’s staff and students moved into the shoplot on July 26 - believed to be a first in Malaysia - while awaiting for a land grant from the government.This appears to be polar opposite of Datuk Seri Samy Vellu's preposterous boast in September 2006 that 21 new Tamil primary schools were built under the Eighth Malaysia Plan and that MIC wants the government to build 14 new Tamil primary schools under the Ninth Malaysia Plan. His grandstanding theatrics was easily proven false as not even a single Tamil school was built under the 8th Malaysian Plan and it is very unlikely that any new Tamil school will be built under the 9th Malaysian Plan.
When contacted, headmaster M Krishnamoorthy, 44, explained the dire situation which prompted the school to move into the shoplot. He said that the school was originally located in the nearby Siliau estate.
“When the estate was closed down in the 1990s, estate workers started to move out to the nearby town and the number of students in the school dwindled,” said Krishnamoorthy. “Despite numerous attempts, the Education Ministry never approved our application...".
Now, it appears clear that the Tamil community can't even depend on the Government to provide for relocation, much less the construction of new schools. What's worse, the relocation expenses had to be raised from the public!
The school, with the help from Rajagopalu [state assemblyman for Port Dickson], collected RM80,000 from the public and converted the shoplot into a fully air-conditioned school building.The plight of the Indian community, particularly those living in the plantation estates and its surrounding townships are in all probability the poorest and most marginalised underclass in Peninsula Malaysia. As I've often emphasized on this blog, education is the best equaliser in the society and offers the best opportunity for the next generation to break out of the poverty trap cycle.
Only yesterday, MCA President, Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting boasted of his party's 'successful' effort in having 17 Chinese primary schools relocated to more populous areas since 2004. However, there are at least another 80 schools around the country which requires reallocation, and possibly another 100 new schools to cope with the burgeoning Chinese school population. Are we now degraded to beggar politics whereby we cry with joy whenever we are offered crumbs?
We certainly hope that it will not become a trend whereby vernacular schools will be forced to raise funds from the public in order to relocate into shoplots which are clearly inadequate in terms of facilities for our young Malaysians. Our Education Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein promised fair treatment for all schools.
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Degree Via Handphones?
Yes, you didn't read it wrong. Soon, you will be able to obtain your degrees via your mobile phone. As reported in the New Straits Times yesterday, "in the near future, Open University Malaysia (OUM) students can get snippets of their course modules on demand through SMS, courtesy of mobile learning (m-learning)."
As it stands, OUM offers PhD programmes for working adults on a part-time basis in subjects such as Engineering and Information Technology, which I'm not in favour of. Now, you can purchase your degree via SMS.
Submit your essays in chunks of 160 characters? Multiple choice essay questions with very short answers? Fill in the blanks?
The whole idea of obtaining a degree via SMS sounds even more incredulous than the bogus universities concept perpetuated by "institutions" the non-Irish Irish International University.
"M-learning could become a global open university for all to participate in," she said.I really don't know what else is there for me to add. How is one going to earn his or her degree via SMS? How can the president of OUM even regard this as even feasible intellectually? Is there no rigour left in university education?
OUM president Prof Tan Sri Anuwar Ali said it was important to utilise m-learning due to the ever increasing availability of wireless portable devices.
This was echoed by LTT Global Communications Sdn Bhd chief executive Wemel Cumavoo who said that mass usage of mobile devices today presented a more feasible environment for the deployment of m-learning than before.
He also added that Malaysia, with its 20 million mobile phone subscribers, had huge potential for m-learning.
As it stands, OUM offers PhD programmes for working adults on a part-time basis in subjects such as Engineering and Information Technology, which I'm not in favour of. Now, you can purchase your degree via SMS.
Submit your essays in chunks of 160 characters? Multiple choice essay questions with very short answers? Fill in the blanks?
The whole idea of obtaining a degree via SMS sounds even more incredulous than the bogus universities concept perpetuated by "institutions" the non-Irish Irish International University.
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Silencing a Malaysian student / rap artist
I'm a big fan of Chinese music even though I'm not Chinese educated. When I saw this Star report on how local Chinese singer Ah Niu was using his music to promote Malaysia and Malaysian Higher Education, it reminded me that I've been wanting to write something about the student who sang and composed the 'Negarakuku' and 'Muar Chinese' rap songs which have become a youtube.com phenomenon. Be warned, this is going to be a long post!
I like Ah Niu's songs because he brings in many authentic Malaysian experiences such as going to the mamak and mixing up English, BM, Mandarin and Hokkien instead of trying to cater to a more Taiwanese or Mainland China audience by taking away the 'Malaysian-isms'.
Similarly, I was intrigued by Wee Meng Chee (黄明志) rap song entitled Muar's Chinese (麻坡话语) - a creative MV criticizing people from KL who speak Cantonese and look down on their more provincial cousins in Muar who speak Mandarin (as well as Hokkien). You can listen to his MV here or you can just type in 'Muar Chinese' on youtube and you'll have lots of hits.
I couldn't find an MV with an English translation but JuneX2 has translated the lyrics in one of her posts in her blog.
Muar's Chinese has become a youtube sensation (at least by Malaysian standards) with numerous uploads recording probably 300,000 hits in total, if not more.
His lyrics are somewhat crude but I think it an honest reflection of what his young composer's feelings are towards life in general. Some of the content was made in a tongue in cheek fashion and was clearly made with purpose of eliciting a laugh rather than to incite racial hatred.
Perhaps I've been in the US for too long and I'm too used to seeing and hearing politicians and racial stereotypes being made fun of by comedians (and the good ones make fun of politicians from all stripes and people of all races). Perhaps it's because Meng Chee didn't make fun of the Chinese as much as he did the other races. But I enjoyed his rap piece and became an instant fan.
His follow up song / rap was something called Kawanku. You can access the youtube video here. This is a version has an English translation. His lyrics are more offensive in this video especially in regards to his statements about the Malays.
He hit the headlines for the wrong reasons recently when his 3rd song (on youtube that is), a parody of the national anthem, Negarukuku, was noticed by the Malaysian government and legal action was threatened against him, including jail time. You can view his rap / song here with an English translation.
He got into trouble for highlighting the widespread corruption among the police, the lackadaisical attitude of our civil servants, the notion that he was insulting Islam by saying that the morning prayers from the mosques are very noisy, the fact that the government only helps the Bumiputeras in the country and that it is very difficult for non-Bumiputeras to enter local universities.
Wee is currently a student in Taiwan but his family in Malaysia has been pressured over his Negaruku rap and I won't be surprised if he's picked up by the police or the Special Branch if he comes back to Malaysia in the near future.
His rap songs on youtube have received tons of comments and so has his own personal blog. If you have the time to trawl through some of the comments, you'll find a fair number of posters who are incensed by him as well as a fair number who are supportive of him and his songs. Because the issues raised here are pretty complex, I think that it is important to break down the discussion into different parts.
Firstly, does the Malaysian government have the right to go after Wee over his youtube postings, specifically his Negarakuku rap? Of course it does, given the prevalence of many draconian laws which exist in the country including the ISA and the Seditions Act, just to name two. Wee must be responsible for his lyrics and his rap songs, which he himself made public.
But does that mean I think it is right for the Malaysian government to go after him? Of course not. After all, he's just a harmless student studying in Taiwan. Yes, some of the things he rapped about were indeed offensive and he did use vulgar language, but he did not advocate for an overthrow of the government. Indeed, in one of his songs, he told the Chinese in Malaysia to be thankful for government policies since it made them more resilient and forced them to work harder and to seek opportunities abroad.
Those of my friends who watched the live proceedings of the UMNO general assembly last year told me that they were frightened by the tone of voice and language used by many of the delegates, especially those directed against the non-Malay community in Malaysia. Isn't this a more serious threat to the racial 'harmony' of the country given that these are political leaders rather than a harmless, long-haired student currently studying in Taiwan?
Secondly, do I condone or agree with all of what was sung by Wee? Of course not! I don't agree with his characterization of all Malays as being lazy. This is blatantly untrue and not helpful at all. I don't think he should have made fun of Malay women who wear the tudung. But just because I don't agree with this point of view, does not mean that I think he should be silenced!
I know of many non-Malays who agree with this kind of characterization of Malays, which I think is unfair but to a certain extent, encouraged by the continuation of certain economic policies in the country. It won't surprise me that many Malays have negative characterizations of Chinese and Indians and other non-Malays in Malaysia. But arresting people just for holding these views isn't necessarily going to improve race relations in Malaysia, is it?
This is entertainment, this is a rap song! We shouldn't take it so seriously (definitely not as seriously as something like the UMNO General Assembly, which actually has political bite). I watch a lot of Jay Leno on the Tonight Show here in the US. He constantly makes fun of US politicians from the left, right and center. Is Jay Leno endangering democracy in the US in any way? Of course not! The Instant Cafe Theatre (ICT) in KL is famous for making fun of Malaysian politicians and of racial stereotypes. Should they be arrested as well? Of course not!
Thirdly, Wee brings up more than just racial stereotypes. He makes fun of the Singaporeans who come to Malaysia to buy chewing gum and then spit it on the streets, he pokes fun at the Chinese who go to KL or live in KL and speak Cantonese and think that they are better than the Mandarin and Hokkien speaking Muarites, he raps about transvestite prostitutes in Muar, he makes fun of the habits of foreign workers who work in factories, he talks about life in small town Muar, driving Proton cars, and so on.
He's just a kid, a student, that has been conditioned by his upbringing and surroundings, putting into words and song his feelings about the world, in a way in which he thinks is creative, honest and perhaps even funny. He's from a Chinese educated background and is probably not that proficient in English (but probably better than my Chinese) and was probably forced to go to Taiwan to study at the university level. His profile is very different from most of the readers of this blog but perhaps not that different from many non-Malays or Chinese from small towns scattered all of Malaysia.
If you read his personal blog, you'll find an idealistic, passionate and perhaps somewhat naive young kid.
I've translated his post entitled "Getting ready to go to jail" when he found out from a reporter that the Oriental Daily, a Chinese newspaper in Malaysia, had an article about how he might be charged and arrested and put in jail. Perhaps those with a better command of the language can help me out with the translation.
Today I received a phone call in Taiwan from a reporter who told me of a news report in Oriental Daily in regards to my 'Negaraku' rap. The contents of the newspaper report can be summarized as such:
The deputy director of the Minister of Culture (Chinese division) expresses his view that the Wee's version of Negaraku twists the lyrics and cast aspersions on civil servants by insinuating that they are corrupt and damages the good reputation of the country. In addition, namewee's video on youtube does not conceal the faces or the identities of those filmed. Therefore, legal proceedings have to be taken and if it is determined that a legal transgression has taken place, Wee will be sentenced and put in jail.
I thought to myself, when did I 'insult' my country? Wasn't what I described part of reality? They can arrest me, but I would advise them to go and arrest the criminals in JB first. Given that the crime rate in JB is so high, why not deal with that situation and catch the criminals there instead of coming after me?
Some more (sic) dare to say that I insult the country ... actually I feel very disappointed with what they have said ... because they tell lies with their eyes wide open.
Furthermore, he himself is a Chinese ... sigh
In reality, scandals are not important...
Ironically, my song is finally getting some recognition from them! Maybe it's a good thing after all!
At least I won't be going to jail for nothing.
I love my country, which is why I did what I did (inaccurate translation)
Going back to the newspaper story, I'm actually looking forward to going to prison. This is not a facetious remark. When I was younger, I used to watch those Hong Kong prison drama serials. I got very interested in the situations that developed in this prison settings...especially those with Chow Yuen Fatt in them!
I'm very happy that another exciting episode has occurred in my life - when I get to eat curry rice every day! I'm sure that this is an experience which most people have not tried before. What an opportunity!
My girlfriend often tells me that I'm a magnet for strange events since I am often confronted with many baffling and unpleasant situations...thus increasing my experience in these things! That's life ... wanting to experience different things.
Otherwise, a life that is too peaceful and without incident can be seen as somewhat tragic. Hopefully going to jail will help be gain new experiences and enable me to come up with better products (talking about his music) ... On with the revolution!
This is a translation of his most recent post. Again apologies for any inaccuracies.
I have removed my Negaraku song from youtube
My youtube account is being monitored closely so there's not much I can do
The is great pressure on my family ... even though they have been very encouraging but I cannot be too selfish
This is what you call 'draconian pressure'
Though the song has been removed from my account, there are many other accounts out there
They can oppress me, they can catch me, ask me to remove anything
But nobody can change the thoughts and ideas of others
Nobody can cover up the truth
My reason for composing this song is very simple
I only use music as a way of reflecting society
I'm only someone who likes to play music ... it's really that simple
Never thought of wanting to make political waves, never wanted to incite racial sentiments, or to oppose the government
However, because somebody had a guilty conscience, was shamed into anger, made a mountain out of a molehill
Thanks to everyone for their encouragement, thanks to everyone for their criticism
As long as there is air, there will be music, no one can stop the spread of music.
This is a somewhat different post from what I normally write about but I thought that since we were discussing freedom of expression among students in Malaysian public universities, I thought that this is fair game.
Still think that Wee should be arrested and thrown in jail?
P.S. You can view his personal youtube account here. Again, note the comments.
I like Ah Niu's songs because he brings in many authentic Malaysian experiences such as going to the mamak and mixing up English, BM, Mandarin and Hokkien instead of trying to cater to a more Taiwanese or Mainland China audience by taking away the 'Malaysian-isms'.
Similarly, I was intrigued by Wee Meng Chee (黄明志) rap song entitled Muar's Chinese (麻坡话语) - a creative MV criticizing people from KL who speak Cantonese and look down on their more provincial cousins in Muar who speak Mandarin (as well as Hokkien). You can listen to his MV here or you can just type in 'Muar Chinese' on youtube and you'll have lots of hits.
I couldn't find an MV with an English translation but JuneX2 has translated the lyrics in one of her posts in her blog.
Muar's Chinese has become a youtube sensation (at least by Malaysian standards) with numerous uploads recording probably 300,000 hits in total, if not more.
His lyrics are somewhat crude but I think it an honest reflection of what his young composer's feelings are towards life in general. Some of the content was made in a tongue in cheek fashion and was clearly made with purpose of eliciting a laugh rather than to incite racial hatred.
Perhaps I've been in the US for too long and I'm too used to seeing and hearing politicians and racial stereotypes being made fun of by comedians (and the good ones make fun of politicians from all stripes and people of all races). Perhaps it's because Meng Chee didn't make fun of the Chinese as much as he did the other races. But I enjoyed his rap piece and became an instant fan.
His follow up song / rap was something called Kawanku. You can access the youtube video here. This is a version has an English translation. His lyrics are more offensive in this video especially in regards to his statements about the Malays.
He hit the headlines for the wrong reasons recently when his 3rd song (on youtube that is), a parody of the national anthem, Negarukuku, was noticed by the Malaysian government and legal action was threatened against him, including jail time. You can view his rap / song here with an English translation.
He got into trouble for highlighting the widespread corruption among the police, the lackadaisical attitude of our civil servants, the notion that he was insulting Islam by saying that the morning prayers from the mosques are very noisy, the fact that the government only helps the Bumiputeras in the country and that it is very difficult for non-Bumiputeras to enter local universities.
Wee is currently a student in Taiwan but his family in Malaysia has been pressured over his Negaruku rap and I won't be surprised if he's picked up by the police or the Special Branch if he comes back to Malaysia in the near future.
His rap songs on youtube have received tons of comments and so has his own personal blog. If you have the time to trawl through some of the comments, you'll find a fair number of posters who are incensed by him as well as a fair number who are supportive of him and his songs. Because the issues raised here are pretty complex, I think that it is important to break down the discussion into different parts.
Firstly, does the Malaysian government have the right to go after Wee over his youtube postings, specifically his Negarakuku rap? Of course it does, given the prevalence of many draconian laws which exist in the country including the ISA and the Seditions Act, just to name two. Wee must be responsible for his lyrics and his rap songs, which he himself made public.
But does that mean I think it is right for the Malaysian government to go after him? Of course not. After all, he's just a harmless student studying in Taiwan. Yes, some of the things he rapped about were indeed offensive and he did use vulgar language, but he did not advocate for an overthrow of the government. Indeed, in one of his songs, he told the Chinese in Malaysia to be thankful for government policies since it made them more resilient and forced them to work harder and to seek opportunities abroad.
Those of my friends who watched the live proceedings of the UMNO general assembly last year told me that they were frightened by the tone of voice and language used by many of the delegates, especially those directed against the non-Malay community in Malaysia. Isn't this a more serious threat to the racial 'harmony' of the country given that these are political leaders rather than a harmless, long-haired student currently studying in Taiwan?
Secondly, do I condone or agree with all of what was sung by Wee? Of course not! I don't agree with his characterization of all Malays as being lazy. This is blatantly untrue and not helpful at all. I don't think he should have made fun of Malay women who wear the tudung. But just because I don't agree with this point of view, does not mean that I think he should be silenced!
I know of many non-Malays who agree with this kind of characterization of Malays, which I think is unfair but to a certain extent, encouraged by the continuation of certain economic policies in the country. It won't surprise me that many Malays have negative characterizations of Chinese and Indians and other non-Malays in Malaysia. But arresting people just for holding these views isn't necessarily going to improve race relations in Malaysia, is it?
This is entertainment, this is a rap song! We shouldn't take it so seriously (definitely not as seriously as something like the UMNO General Assembly, which actually has political bite). I watch a lot of Jay Leno on the Tonight Show here in the US. He constantly makes fun of US politicians from the left, right and center. Is Jay Leno endangering democracy in the US in any way? Of course not! The Instant Cafe Theatre (ICT) in KL is famous for making fun of Malaysian politicians and of racial stereotypes. Should they be arrested as well? Of course not!
Thirdly, Wee brings up more than just racial stereotypes. He makes fun of the Singaporeans who come to Malaysia to buy chewing gum and then spit it on the streets, he pokes fun at the Chinese who go to KL or live in KL and speak Cantonese and think that they are better than the Mandarin and Hokkien speaking Muarites, he raps about transvestite prostitutes in Muar, he makes fun of the habits of foreign workers who work in factories, he talks about life in small town Muar, driving Proton cars, and so on.
He's just a kid, a student, that has been conditioned by his upbringing and surroundings, putting into words and song his feelings about the world, in a way in which he thinks is creative, honest and perhaps even funny. He's from a Chinese educated background and is probably not that proficient in English (but probably better than my Chinese) and was probably forced to go to Taiwan to study at the university level. His profile is very different from most of the readers of this blog but perhaps not that different from many non-Malays or Chinese from small towns scattered all of Malaysia.
If you read his personal blog, you'll find an idealistic, passionate and perhaps somewhat naive young kid.
I've translated his post entitled "Getting ready to go to jail" when he found out from a reporter that the Oriental Daily, a Chinese newspaper in Malaysia, had an article about how he might be charged and arrested and put in jail. Perhaps those with a better command of the language can help me out with the translation.
Today I received a phone call in Taiwan from a reporter who told me of a news report in Oriental Daily in regards to my 'Negaraku' rap. The contents of the newspaper report can be summarized as such:
The deputy director of the Minister of Culture (Chinese division) expresses his view that the Wee's version of Negaraku twists the lyrics and cast aspersions on civil servants by insinuating that they are corrupt and damages the good reputation of the country. In addition, namewee's video on youtube does not conceal the faces or the identities of those filmed. Therefore, legal proceedings have to be taken and if it is determined that a legal transgression has taken place, Wee will be sentenced and put in jail.
I thought to myself, when did I 'insult' my country? Wasn't what I described part of reality? They can arrest me, but I would advise them to go and arrest the criminals in JB first. Given that the crime rate in JB is so high, why not deal with that situation and catch the criminals there instead of coming after me?
Some more (sic) dare to say that I insult the country ... actually I feel very disappointed with what they have said ... because they tell lies with their eyes wide open.
Furthermore, he himself is a Chinese ... sigh
In reality, scandals are not important...
Ironically, my song is finally getting some recognition from them! Maybe it's a good thing after all!
At least I won't be going to jail for nothing.
I love my country, which is why I did what I did (inaccurate translation)
Going back to the newspaper story, I'm actually looking forward to going to prison. This is not a facetious remark. When I was younger, I used to watch those Hong Kong prison drama serials. I got very interested in the situations that developed in this prison settings...especially those with Chow Yuen Fatt in them!
I'm very happy that another exciting episode has occurred in my life - when I get to eat curry rice every day! I'm sure that this is an experience which most people have not tried before. What an opportunity!
My girlfriend often tells me that I'm a magnet for strange events since I am often confronted with many baffling and unpleasant situations...thus increasing my experience in these things! That's life ... wanting to experience different things.
Otherwise, a life that is too peaceful and without incident can be seen as somewhat tragic. Hopefully going to jail will help be gain new experiences and enable me to come up with better products (talking about his music) ... On with the revolution!
This is a translation of his most recent post. Again apologies for any inaccuracies.
I have removed my Negaraku song from youtube
My youtube account is being monitored closely so there's not much I can do
The is great pressure on my family ... even though they have been very encouraging but I cannot be too selfish
This is what you call 'draconian pressure'
Though the song has been removed from my account, there are many other accounts out there
They can oppress me, they can catch me, ask me to remove anything
But nobody can change the thoughts and ideas of others
Nobody can cover up the truth
My reason for composing this song is very simple
I only use music as a way of reflecting society
I'm only someone who likes to play music ... it's really that simple
Never thought of wanting to make political waves, never wanted to incite racial sentiments, or to oppose the government
However, because somebody had a guilty conscience, was shamed into anger, made a mountain out of a molehill
Thanks to everyone for their encouragement, thanks to everyone for their criticism
As long as there is air, there will be music, no one can stop the spread of music.
This is a somewhat different post from what I normally write about but I thought that since we were discussing freedom of expression among students in Malaysian public universities, I thought that this is fair game.
Still think that Wee should be arrested and thrown in jail?
P.S. You can view his personal youtube account here. Again, note the comments.
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Quick update on the 'grading' of private colleges
A quick update on the state of the 'grading' exercise for the private colleges in Malaysia which was blogged about here and here. The Minister for Higher Education, Tok Pa, was reported in the Star today as saying that a pilot project to grade 10 private colleges has been completed.
I've been generally positive in regards to this move to grade private colleges as this will give the public more information in regards to the quality of higher education in these colleges, an issue which Tony has been and is concerned about and has highlighted many times in this blog.
I've been equally strident in pushing for public universities to be ranked as well though it seems that this is not something that the MOHE is interested in pursuing at this point in time.
I think it's a good idea to run a pilot grading system for selected private colleges first before expanding it to all private colleges in Malaysia. This way, the methodology can be scrutinized and improved as a result. Hopefully, the MOHE will make its methodology public when these 'grades' are released.
The only minor criticism I have is the time this process is taking. This was first brought up in this blog in September 2006, almost a year ago. Hopefully we won't have to wait for another year before we finally get to 'see' these grades.
I've been generally positive in regards to this move to grade private colleges as this will give the public more information in regards to the quality of higher education in these colleges, an issue which Tony has been and is concerned about and has highlighted many times in this blog.
I've been equally strident in pushing for public universities to be ranked as well though it seems that this is not something that the MOHE is interested in pursuing at this point in time.
I think it's a good idea to run a pilot grading system for selected private colleges first before expanding it to all private colleges in Malaysia. This way, the methodology can be scrutinized and improved as a result. Hopefully, the MOHE will make its methodology public when these 'grades' are released.
The only minor criticism I have is the time this process is taking. This was first brought up in this blog in September 2006, almost a year ago. Hopefully we won't have to wait for another year before we finally get to 'see' these grades.
Monday, August 06, 2007
'Booing' of the UM VC
Thanks to Johnleemk for his comments on the First Annual Malaysian Student Leaders Summit 2007. Part of his comment was the following: "Today was more interesting - I think it's quite difficult to have confidence in Rafiah Salim and Mustapha Mohamad (especially the former) after how they performed today. Both gave ridiculous answers to questions on academic freedom at home and abroad; Rafiah made this ridiculous proposal that we send boys to "paramilitary" (her words) boarding schools. For a moment we thought she was joking." Perhaps, it was in this context that the NST reported that she was booed at this summit.
The NST reported that:
Boos and catcalls greeted Datuk Rafiah Salim when she said public university students had the freedom to express their thoughts and ideas.
Several hundred dissenting voices rang out when the Universiti Malaya vice-chancellor, when taking a question from the floor, said there was "no such thing as students being unable to address their concerns".
Hearing their disapproval, Rafiah retorted: "Behaviour like this is exactly what causes people not to respect you. You won’t even give me a hearing. And you won’t get respect.
"If you behave like that, nobody will listen to you because it is not worth listening. You are not respecting others."
I was a little surprised that the NST reported that the UM VC was booed. Usually, something like that would be conveniently 'left out' in favor of more positive news, perhaps focusing on the Minister in attendance, in this case, Tok Pa, the Minister for Higher Education.
I was even more pleasantly surprised that 'several hundred dissenting voices rang out' when the UM VC said that 'public university students had the freedom to express their thoughts and ideas'. While UKEC organized forums in the UK might attract crowds which can be boisterous and opinionated, I would have thought that the fact that this summit was held in Malaysia would have held many 'tongues' in check. Thus, the fact that those in attendance (including JohnLeeMK) would be brave enough to offer their dissent in a vocal fashion is something refreshing.
I would certainly laugh at the notion that there is freedom of expression among students in public universities in Malaysia. The UUCA puts many restrictions on student activities and organizations (including the ability to join political parties and volunteer for political activities) and student elections are notoriously 'rigged' and 'controlled' by the university authorities.
The UM VC should have realized that when she says ludicrous things in front of a crowd that is intelligent and is not afraid to show their contempt for such ludicrous statements, 'booing' is the first thing that she should expect. But I'm sure that she didn't see that coming, probably anticipating a far more docile crowd, perhaps similar to the crowd that she is used to in UM.
Sometimes I wonder if people like the UM VC really believe that there is freedom of expression in public universities in Malaysia or that they say this because they have to or perhaps they have said this so often that they start to believe this fiction.
The NST reported that:
Boos and catcalls greeted Datuk Rafiah Salim when she said public university students had the freedom to express their thoughts and ideas.
Several hundred dissenting voices rang out when the Universiti Malaya vice-chancellor, when taking a question from the floor, said there was "no such thing as students being unable to address their concerns".
Hearing their disapproval, Rafiah retorted: "Behaviour like this is exactly what causes people not to respect you. You won’t even give me a hearing. And you won’t get respect.
"If you behave like that, nobody will listen to you because it is not worth listening. You are not respecting others."
I was a little surprised that the NST reported that the UM VC was booed. Usually, something like that would be conveniently 'left out' in favor of more positive news, perhaps focusing on the Minister in attendance, in this case, Tok Pa, the Minister for Higher Education.
I was even more pleasantly surprised that 'several hundred dissenting voices rang out' when the UM VC said that 'public university students had the freedom to express their thoughts and ideas'. While UKEC organized forums in the UK might attract crowds which can be boisterous and opinionated, I would have thought that the fact that this summit was held in Malaysia would have held many 'tongues' in check. Thus, the fact that those in attendance (including JohnLeeMK) would be brave enough to offer their dissent in a vocal fashion is something refreshing.
I would certainly laugh at the notion that there is freedom of expression among students in public universities in Malaysia. The UUCA puts many restrictions on student activities and organizations (including the ability to join political parties and volunteer for political activities) and student elections are notoriously 'rigged' and 'controlled' by the university authorities.
The UM VC should have realized that when she says ludicrous things in front of a crowd that is intelligent and is not afraid to show their contempt for such ludicrous statements, 'booing' is the first thing that she should expect. But I'm sure that she didn't see that coming, probably anticipating a far more docile crowd, perhaps similar to the crowd that she is used to in UM.
Sometimes I wonder if people like the UM VC really believe that there is freedom of expression in public universities in Malaysia or that they say this because they have to or perhaps they have said this so often that they start to believe this fiction.
Saturday, August 04, 2007
First Annual Malaysian Student Leaders Summit 2007
UKEC with a few strategic partners including Recom.org, organized the 'First Annual Malaysian Student Leaders Summit 2007', over this weekend (Aug 3 - 5th). It seems like a pretty power packed summit with many political, corporate and educational leaders of note. You can view the details of the conference here. Since I wasn't able to attend (and probably Tony as well), we were wondering if any of our readers who did attend this summit send us a report or comments on what they thought of the summit.
Free SPM Revision Questions
The Times Guides have developed a SPM Questions book to be given away for free to SPM students. Its called Soalan Ulangkaji SPM 2007.
The book was developed with the help of a group of expert teachers who are question paper setters, text book writers and SPM paper markers. They were brought together by Ibrahim Saad, who was the Education Editor of Berita Harian, who also sub edited and coordinated the project for us.
Due to the high cost of printing, they could only print 10,000 copies to be given away for FREE to Form 5 students in 43 schools in Klang Valley.
However, as the book has good value and it can benefit more students, the Times Guide have produced an eBook version of the book for students to download for free.
Also available are tips to answering questions for SPM 2007. Thanks to S N Rajah for the note and offer. Good luck with your examinations! ;)
The book was developed with the help of a group of expert teachers who are question paper setters, text book writers and SPM paper markers. They were brought together by Ibrahim Saad, who was the Education Editor of Berita Harian, who also sub edited and coordinated the project for us.
Due to the high cost of printing, they could only print 10,000 copies to be given away for FREE to Form 5 students in 43 schools in Klang Valley.
However, as the book has good value and it can benefit more students, the Times Guide have produced an eBook version of the book for students to download for free.
Also available are tips to answering questions for SPM 2007. Thanks to S N Rajah for the note and offer. Good luck with your examinations! ;)
Monday, July 30, 2007
RM1.1 billion for motivational courses for students?
I think there must be a typo in this Star report. "The Government has allocated RM1.1bil for motivational courses for students in all parliamentary constituencies in the country, Deputy Information Min-ister Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi."
This is almost equivalent to the RM1.2billion in the 9MP allocated for the training of PhDs for lecturers in our public universities. This works out to almost RM5 million per parliamentary constituency. But even if this was a typo, I don't think the Ministry of Information should have anything to do with organizing motivational speaking courses for students at any level (primary, secondary or tertiary). This is clearly out of the purview of this Ministry.
I would have suspicions even if it was the Ministry of Education or the MOHE who were responsible for organizing these courses.
Firstly, these courses are notoriously difficult to define. How does one define what a motivational course is? What kind of curriculum does this entail? What kind of 'practical' training does a student have to go through?
Secondly, these courses are difficult to teach. I'm sure that the MOE don't train their teachers to conduct 'motivational' courses. I'm also quite sure that the Ministry of Information doesn't have a staple of full time employees who are 'qualified' to teach motivational courses. There's a reason why people such as Anthony Robbins command such a high premium - it's because there are few people of his 'stature' in the motivational speaking world.
Thirdly, the results or effectiveness of these courses are notoriously difficult to measure. Unlike other subjects which can be more objectively tested, how does one test one's knowledge of self-motivation methods, for example?
The allocation for such large sums of money (if indeed the amount report was NOT a typo) only opens more doors for the possibility of patronage and misallocation of resources i.e. bribery and corruption.
Personally speaking, I'm quite agnostic in regards to the effectiveness of 'motivational' courses and / or speakers. I think that most of these large group sessions involving 'star' motivational speakers such as Anthony Robbins probably gives those who attend a short term 'boost' to their motivational levels which runs out sooner rather than later. (I also think that it's a tremendous waste of money)
I'm more critical of the techniques used by groups such as Asiaworks which specializes in large group awareness training (LGAT) that seem cult-like in nature. I'm sure that an announcement of this nature would catch the ears of such organizations, which would love to be awarded these contracts.
If individuals and private organizations / corporations want to organize motivational courses for their employees or for themselves, I have no problems with that. What I have a problem with is the expenditure of tax payers money on an educational 'venture' which has little to do with the purposes of education itself.
This is almost equivalent to the RM1.2billion in the 9MP allocated for the training of PhDs for lecturers in our public universities. This works out to almost RM5 million per parliamentary constituency. But even if this was a typo, I don't think the Ministry of Information should have anything to do with organizing motivational speaking courses for students at any level (primary, secondary or tertiary). This is clearly out of the purview of this Ministry.
I would have suspicions even if it was the Ministry of Education or the MOHE who were responsible for organizing these courses.
Firstly, these courses are notoriously difficult to define. How does one define what a motivational course is? What kind of curriculum does this entail? What kind of 'practical' training does a student have to go through?
Secondly, these courses are difficult to teach. I'm sure that the MOE don't train their teachers to conduct 'motivational' courses. I'm also quite sure that the Ministry of Information doesn't have a staple of full time employees who are 'qualified' to teach motivational courses. There's a reason why people such as Anthony Robbins command such a high premium - it's because there are few people of his 'stature' in the motivational speaking world.
Thirdly, the results or effectiveness of these courses are notoriously difficult to measure. Unlike other subjects which can be more objectively tested, how does one test one's knowledge of self-motivation methods, for example?
The allocation for such large sums of money (if indeed the amount report was NOT a typo) only opens more doors for the possibility of patronage and misallocation of resources i.e. bribery and corruption.
Personally speaking, I'm quite agnostic in regards to the effectiveness of 'motivational' courses and / or speakers. I think that most of these large group sessions involving 'star' motivational speakers such as Anthony Robbins probably gives those who attend a short term 'boost' to their motivational levels which runs out sooner rather than later. (I also think that it's a tremendous waste of money)
I'm more critical of the techniques used by groups such as Asiaworks which specializes in large group awareness training (LGAT) that seem cult-like in nature. I'm sure that an announcement of this nature would catch the ears of such organizations, which would love to be awarded these contracts.
If individuals and private organizations / corporations want to organize motivational courses for their employees or for themselves, I have no problems with that. What I have a problem with is the expenditure of tax payers money on an educational 'venture' which has little to do with the purposes of education itself.
Call for Interview & Survey Participants!
Just a note from a student seeking assistance from female students in Computer Science and IT to help complete a survey. ;)
Hi, my name is Jinny and I'm currently doing my postgraduate diploma studies with the School of Arts and Sciences in Monash University. I'm doing a research on Malaysian female students in Computer Science and IT Education and I'd like to have a little chat with you about your experiences studying CS/IT! I am conducting a survey and interviews to gather some data for my research on the approaches, experiences and motivations of a female student in CS/IT. These interviews are very integral to my qualitative researching.
What are the benefits of participating in the interview and survey?
Your participation in this research project would greatly contribute to building research in the area of gender, technology and education in a Malaysian context, and hopefully will lay the path to making the Computer Science and IT study experience more enjoyable, rewarding, attractive and friendly to female students! :)
I'm conducting interviews for my research, and if you are:
- Female,
- Malaysian,
- Is a student or a graduate of Computer Science or Information Technology in a private or foreign University,
I'd love to talk to you and hear about your experiences, preferably through face-to-face interviews. If you would like to share your experience with me, drop me an email @ sjwon1@student.monash.edu by 12 August, 2007.
I'm also conducting a survey, it would be really helpful if you could participate in the survey too :) If you are:
- Female,
- Malaysian, and
- Is currently studying Computer Science or Information Technology in a private or foreign University, do head over to http://yoyo.monash.edu.my/assistsurvey/ to complete the survey!
Please do consider making yourself available for the interview or take part in the survey - thank you!
If you have any questions regarding the interview or survey, don't hesitate to ask me directly @ sjwon1@student.monash.edu
Hi, my name is Jinny and I'm currently doing my postgraduate diploma studies with the School of Arts and Sciences in Monash University. I'm doing a research on Malaysian female students in Computer Science and IT Education and I'd like to have a little chat with you about your experiences studying CS/IT! I am conducting a survey and interviews to gather some data for my research on the approaches, experiences and motivations of a female student in CS/IT. These interviews are very integral to my qualitative researching.
What are the benefits of participating in the interview and survey?
Your participation in this research project would greatly contribute to building research in the area of gender, technology and education in a Malaysian context, and hopefully will lay the path to making the Computer Science and IT study experience more enjoyable, rewarding, attractive and friendly to female students! :)
I'm conducting interviews for my research, and if you are:
- Female,
- Malaysian,
- Is a student or a graduate of Computer Science or Information Technology in a private or foreign University,
I'd love to talk to you and hear about your experiences, preferably through face-to-face interviews. If you would like to share your experience with me, drop me an email @ sjwon1@student.monash.edu by 12 August, 2007.
I'm also conducting a survey, it would be really helpful if you could participate in the survey too :) If you are:
- Female,
- Malaysian, and
- Is currently studying Computer Science or Information Technology in a private or foreign University, do head over to http://yoyo.monash.edu.my/assistsurvey/ to complete the survey!
Please do consider making yourself available for the interview or take part in the survey - thank you!
If you have any questions regarding the interview or survey, don't hesitate to ask me directly @ sjwon1@student.monash.edu
Friday, July 27, 2007
UUM dress code: response from a reader
I got this response from our of our readers in response to Tony's post on the UUM dress code. While his reply is not strictly education related, I thought that his remarks about the Outward Bound School (OBS) deserved to be heard given that many of young people attend OBS. (I was one of those and I found that the OBS camp was a good place to mix around with other kids from all races and backgrounds)
Dear Kian Ming,
I read you most recent blog on the UUM dress code issue. I cannot agree more with the fact that the Talibanisation of the nation is coming through fast and furious.
Your blog reminded me of a recent first hand experience I had with dress code. I was signed up for an outdoor course in our very own Outward Bound School (OBS) in Lumut about 2 months ago. One day we were told by the Malay instructor that we were to show up in our "wet wear" for a kayaking event. So what in the world would you think " wet wear" is?
I trooped out in a a swimming trunk with a T shirt over. Wet wear enough right? Apparently not. I was rebuked and rudely told off by the instructor. "Mana seluar kamu? Pergi tukar sekarang juga!"
When I asked him what was the reason why what I was wearing wasn't considered wet wear (obviously this person hasn't seen the Olympics swimming event" on TV, probably too engrossed with the jungle in OBS). He again told me off "Jangan cakap banyak, kamu tukar saja, kalau tidak, kamu jangan pergi".
On any normal day, had it happened in Singapore or anywhere outside Malaysia, I would have lodged a police report or gone to the press with my sorry. But sadly I knew then that it was a futile effort, least not in my beloved Malaysia. Like I said, I knew there and then that the Talibanisation of Malaysia is now almost complete. There's no point fighting a lost cause. Malaysia must surely be an Islamic state. Secular? Sure, if only in our dreams.
Ironically I was looking at some old pictures that OBS had displayed. Circa 1970s. The participants then went for their kayaking event decked in only swimming trunks, exposing their brown tan bodies for all to see. No complaints then, even though I believe by then Islam was already in Malaysia for more than 500 years.
Dear Kian Ming,
I read you most recent blog on the UUM dress code issue. I cannot agree more with the fact that the Talibanisation of the nation is coming through fast and furious.
Your blog reminded me of a recent first hand experience I had with dress code. I was signed up for an outdoor course in our very own Outward Bound School (OBS) in Lumut about 2 months ago. One day we were told by the Malay instructor that we were to show up in our "wet wear" for a kayaking event. So what in the world would you think " wet wear" is?
I trooped out in a a swimming trunk with a T shirt over. Wet wear enough right? Apparently not. I was rebuked and rudely told off by the instructor. "Mana seluar kamu? Pergi tukar sekarang juga!"
When I asked him what was the reason why what I was wearing wasn't considered wet wear (obviously this person hasn't seen the Olympics swimming event" on TV, probably too engrossed with the jungle in OBS). He again told me off "Jangan cakap banyak, kamu tukar saja, kalau tidak, kamu jangan pergi".
On any normal day, had it happened in Singapore or anywhere outside Malaysia, I would have lodged a police report or gone to the press with my sorry. But sadly I knew then that it was a futile effort, least not in my beloved Malaysia. Like I said, I knew there and then that the Talibanisation of Malaysia is now almost complete. There's no point fighting a lost cause. Malaysia must surely be an Islamic state. Secular? Sure, if only in our dreams.
Ironically I was looking at some old pictures that OBS had displayed. Circa 1970s. The participants then went for their kayaking event decked in only swimming trunks, exposing their brown tan bodies for all to see. No complaints then, even though I believe by then Islam was already in Malaysia for more than 500 years.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Academics against Akujanji
A Malaysiakini report yesterday highlighted the campaign by academics in Malaysia against the Akujanji pledge. Not only does it call for Akujanji to be abolished with immediate effect but it also calls for Dr. Azly Rahman, Dr. Mutiara Muhamed and other academics who have been dismissed because of their opposition to Akujanji to be reinstated. This campaign is being headed by Dr. Syed Husin Ali and Dr. Lim Teck Ghee.
Tony has blogged passionately about this issue here, here, here and here.
I've been a little more agnostic about 'Akujanji' believing that it is possible aka NUS to create a public university where academic freedom is not exactly free flowing but I think that Tony is probably right in saying that Akujanji needs to be revoked as part of a larger, comprehensive move to create more dynamic and open minded universities in Malaysia.
I would certainly prefer to work in a university, especially in my field, where Akujanji does not exist and I would think most other academics would as well. I certainly support the petition circulated by Dr. Syed Husin Ali and Dr. Lim though I don't see how Ong Kian Ming, a PhD candidate at Duke University, would add value to the cause. (Dr. Lim sent me the petition but I forgot to reply to him. Apologies, Dr. Lim)
The actual petition circulated by Dr. Syed Husin Ali and Dr. Lim reads as follows:
Petition for Revocation of University Akujanji
We, the undersigned - former university staff members, present university staff members (who cannot include their names here for fear of victimization by the authorities) and civil society organizations - call on the Government to revoke the imposition of the Akujanji pledge with immediate effect.
This requirement of loyalty to the Government – found only in a few repressive university systems in the world – has stifled academic freedom in our country to an unprecedented extent. It has also inculcated a culture of fear, passivity and uncritical thinking in the campuses which is antithetical to the development of our universities and to the quality of teaching and scholarship.
Government leaders, including the Prime Minister, have called on the universities to take up the challenge of upgrading their standards and producing quality teaching and research that will help the nation meet the goals of 2020, including the goals of a matured, liberal, scientific and progressive society. The Aku Janji stands as a major obstacle in the way of our universities rising to this challenge.
In this regard we also call on the Government to reinstate Dr. Azly Rahman, Dr.Mutiara Mohamad and other academicians who have been dismissed as a result of their opposition to the Akujanji. Similarly, others who have suffered in their career development due to the Akujanji should have their cases reviewed and should be provided with justice and redress. These are our academic prisoners of conscience who have been unjustly victimized and whose continued exclusion is a black mark against academia and our democratic system and values.
Our concern is not the first voiced on this issue - academic staff associations and numerous other concerned individuals and organizations have during the past three years spoken out and asked for the abolition of the pledge which is also against the fundamental rights of freedom of association and expression. We hope with this petition that we will be the last to take up this issue.
We feel that this is an urgent matter not simply of academic interest and concern but of national importance too and call on the Government to respond in a fair and enlightened manner and to place the interests of the universities and nation ahead of partisan political ones. The revocation of the pledge is a vital step in ensuring that fundamental rights of freedom of association and expression are not further eroded and that our academicians can play their rightful role in helping our nation advance.
I just want to make three observations in regards to the signatories of this petition
Firstly, most of the signatories are social scientists (especially political scientists) or academics from the humanities. I recognize many of the names on the list (and indeed, know some of them) who are social scientists including - Dr. Collin Abraham, Dr. Azmi Sharom, Dr. Sharon Bong, Dr. Cheah Boon Kheng, Dr. Stephen Chee, Dr. Farish Noor, Dr. Terence Gomez, Dr. Khoo Boo Teik, Dr. Khoo Kay Jin, Dr. Patricia Martinez, Dr. Maznah Mohamad, Dr. Lim Teck Ghee, Dr. Francis Loh, Dr Mavis Puthucheary, Dr. Ramasamy, Dr. Johan Saravanamuttu, Dr. Shirley Lim, Dr. Syed Husin Ali, Dr. Toh Kin Woon, Wong Chin Huat and Dr. Diana Wong.
If the momentum from 'within' to abolish Akujanji is to continue, there needs to be more support for its abolishment across the academic fields including the engineering and science faculties. If not, the impression that this movement is only support by trouble making social scientists and those from the humanities will only be reinforced.
Secondly, as noted by the Malaysiakini report, out of the 40 academics who signed on to this petition, 29 are retired. Obviously, one needs to ask why there are not more signatories among active academics. Is it out of fear that reprisals might be carried out against them similar to those carried out against Dr. Azly Rahman and Dr. Mutiara Muhamed? This is not out of the question. To overcome this fear, there must be a concerted gathering of support among active academics so if a large enough number of them do sign this petition, it is not possible to carry out reprisals against all of them. In other words, achieve some sort of 'critical mass'.
Easier said than done but perhaps one can start by asking academics from the engineering and science faculties whether Akujanji has hurt them in any way (recruitment, funding, research proposals) or why they might feel that Akujanji might be needed (or no need for it to be abolished). From here, one can hopefully move forward to achieve the 'critical mass' necessary for such a movement to be taken seriously.
Thirdly, even among those signatories who are not retired (the 11 brave souls), I know of only 2 who are relatively young in regards to their academic careers. (Apologies for Azmi and Terence) The two are Dr. Sharon Bong and Wong Chin Huat, who are both teaching at Monash Sunway now, a private university. This of course calls into question the level of support for such a movement against Akujanji among the younger academics in our public universities. I'm quite sure that the 'pressure' which can be exerted on them would be higher compared to the more established i.e. older academics.
Of course I could be making too much out of this. Perhaps the petition didn't circulate to the younger academics because Dr. Lim and Dr. Syed Husin Ali didn't know enough of them (the same argument can be made in regards to the lack of outreach to the scientists and engineers). The level of support against Akujanji could be as great if not more so among the younger, perhaps more idealistic, academics in our public universities.
I do hope that Akujanji can be abolished as part of a comprehensive move to change the mindset and structure of our public universities. But like all things in Malaysia, change for the better tends to happen slowly and incrementally, if at all. I wish Dr. Lim and Dr. Syed Husin Ali all the best in this endeavor.
Tony has blogged passionately about this issue here, here, here and here.
I've been a little more agnostic about 'Akujanji' believing that it is possible aka NUS to create a public university where academic freedom is not exactly free flowing but I think that Tony is probably right in saying that Akujanji needs to be revoked as part of a larger, comprehensive move to create more dynamic and open minded universities in Malaysia.
I would certainly prefer to work in a university, especially in my field, where Akujanji does not exist and I would think most other academics would as well. I certainly support the petition circulated by Dr. Syed Husin Ali and Dr. Lim though I don't see how Ong Kian Ming, a PhD candidate at Duke University, would add value to the cause. (Dr. Lim sent me the petition but I forgot to reply to him. Apologies, Dr. Lim)
The actual petition circulated by Dr. Syed Husin Ali and Dr. Lim reads as follows:
Petition for Revocation of University Akujanji
We, the undersigned - former university staff members, present university staff members (who cannot include their names here for fear of victimization by the authorities) and civil society organizations - call on the Government to revoke the imposition of the Akujanji pledge with immediate effect.
This requirement of loyalty to the Government – found only in a few repressive university systems in the world – has stifled academic freedom in our country to an unprecedented extent. It has also inculcated a culture of fear, passivity and uncritical thinking in the campuses which is antithetical to the development of our universities and to the quality of teaching and scholarship.
Government leaders, including the Prime Minister, have called on the universities to take up the challenge of upgrading their standards and producing quality teaching and research that will help the nation meet the goals of 2020, including the goals of a matured, liberal, scientific and progressive society. The Aku Janji stands as a major obstacle in the way of our universities rising to this challenge.
In this regard we also call on the Government to reinstate Dr. Azly Rahman, Dr.Mutiara Mohamad and other academicians who have been dismissed as a result of their opposition to the Akujanji. Similarly, others who have suffered in their career development due to the Akujanji should have their cases reviewed and should be provided with justice and redress. These are our academic prisoners of conscience who have been unjustly victimized and whose continued exclusion is a black mark against academia and our democratic system and values.
Our concern is not the first voiced on this issue - academic staff associations and numerous other concerned individuals and organizations have during the past three years spoken out and asked for the abolition of the pledge which is also against the fundamental rights of freedom of association and expression. We hope with this petition that we will be the last to take up this issue.
We feel that this is an urgent matter not simply of academic interest and concern but of national importance too and call on the Government to respond in a fair and enlightened manner and to place the interests of the universities and nation ahead of partisan political ones. The revocation of the pledge is a vital step in ensuring that fundamental rights of freedom of association and expression are not further eroded and that our academicians can play their rightful role in helping our nation advance.
I just want to make three observations in regards to the signatories of this petition
Firstly, most of the signatories are social scientists (especially political scientists) or academics from the humanities. I recognize many of the names on the list (and indeed, know some of them) who are social scientists including - Dr. Collin Abraham, Dr. Azmi Sharom, Dr. Sharon Bong, Dr. Cheah Boon Kheng, Dr. Stephen Chee, Dr. Farish Noor, Dr. Terence Gomez, Dr. Khoo Boo Teik, Dr. Khoo Kay Jin, Dr. Patricia Martinez, Dr. Maznah Mohamad, Dr. Lim Teck Ghee, Dr. Francis Loh, Dr Mavis Puthucheary, Dr. Ramasamy, Dr. Johan Saravanamuttu, Dr. Shirley Lim, Dr. Syed Husin Ali, Dr. Toh Kin Woon, Wong Chin Huat and Dr. Diana Wong.
If the momentum from 'within' to abolish Akujanji is to continue, there needs to be more support for its abolishment across the academic fields including the engineering and science faculties. If not, the impression that this movement is only support by trouble making social scientists and those from the humanities will only be reinforced.
Secondly, as noted by the Malaysiakini report, out of the 40 academics who signed on to this petition, 29 are retired. Obviously, one needs to ask why there are not more signatories among active academics. Is it out of fear that reprisals might be carried out against them similar to those carried out against Dr. Azly Rahman and Dr. Mutiara Muhamed? This is not out of the question. To overcome this fear, there must be a concerted gathering of support among active academics so if a large enough number of them do sign this petition, it is not possible to carry out reprisals against all of them. In other words, achieve some sort of 'critical mass'.
Easier said than done but perhaps one can start by asking academics from the engineering and science faculties whether Akujanji has hurt them in any way (recruitment, funding, research proposals) or why they might feel that Akujanji might be needed (or no need for it to be abolished). From here, one can hopefully move forward to achieve the 'critical mass' necessary for such a movement to be taken seriously.
Thirdly, even among those signatories who are not retired (the 11 brave souls), I know of only 2 who are relatively young in regards to their academic careers. (Apologies for Azmi and Terence) The two are Dr. Sharon Bong and Wong Chin Huat, who are both teaching at Monash Sunway now, a private university. This of course calls into question the level of support for such a movement against Akujanji among the younger academics in our public universities. I'm quite sure that the 'pressure' which can be exerted on them would be higher compared to the more established i.e. older academics.
Of course I could be making too much out of this. Perhaps the petition didn't circulate to the younger academics because Dr. Lim and Dr. Syed Husin Ali didn't know enough of them (the same argument can be made in regards to the lack of outreach to the scientists and engineers). The level of support against Akujanji could be as great if not more so among the younger, perhaps more idealistic, academics in our public universities.
I do hope that Akujanji can be abolished as part of a comprehensive move to change the mindset and structure of our public universities. But like all things in Malaysia, change for the better tends to happen slowly and incrementally, if at all. I wish Dr. Lim and Dr. Syed Husin Ali all the best in this endeavor.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
DECC Call For Assistance
Below is a message from Tee Sui Seng, recently gradauted from Cambridge University, who has offered to assist with DECC. Thanks a million, Sui Seng. ;)
The Descartes Education Counselling Centre (DECC) is a non-profit organisation which hopes to act as a port-of-call to ease some of the problems regarding opportunities for furthering education. Previous activities have included helping students in the application process to top universities such as Ivy League, Liberal Arts Colleges and Oxbridge in England and also providing guidance for career and employment opportunities
We are now looking for a more permanent establishment to provide for continuing service to students. This inaugural DECC Committee will oversee the setting up of the DECC as a permanent feature in the Malaysian educational landscape and will be heavily involved in determining the long-term role of the DECC.
Positions include:
Just drop an e-mail to teesuiseng(at)gmail(dot)com, with a short description of your background and how you think you can contribute to the DECC; either by filling one of the positions above or any other way. Any enquiries or suggestions are also welcome and we hope to hear from you soon!
The Descartes Education Counselling Centre (DECC) is a non-profit organisation which hopes to act as a port-of-call to ease some of the problems regarding opportunities for furthering education. Previous activities have included helping students in the application process to top universities such as Ivy League, Liberal Arts Colleges and Oxbridge in England and also providing guidance for career and employment opportunities
We are now looking for a more permanent establishment to provide for continuing service to students. This inaugural DECC Committee will oversee the setting up of the DECC as a permanent feature in the Malaysian educational landscape and will be heavily involved in determining the long-term role of the DECC.
Positions include:
- Director – to determine the direction of the organisation and to ensure the smooth operations of all projects
- Publicity manager – to ensure the objectives and activities of the DECC are made known to the target audience
- Web development manager – to set up and maintain the DECC website
- Educational Co-ordinator – to liase between students and regional co-ordinators to ensure efficient response of enquiries
- Regional Co-ordinators – divided by regions, including local, Asia-Pacific, UK, US and Europe, to have knowledge on opportunities for tertiary education in the regions
- Graduate Co-ordinators – in charge of enquiries regarding graduate education opportunities and employment
Just drop an e-mail to teesuiseng(at)gmail(dot)com, with a short description of your background and how you think you can contribute to the DECC; either by filling one of the positions above or any other way. Any enquiries or suggestions are also welcome and we hope to hear from you soon!
More disciplinary issues
Following on our posts on the student slapping incident here and here, the Star reported two incidents - that a student slapping headmaster in KK had been suspended for 2 months (with full pay) for slapping some 20 students for not handing in their civics homework and that a warden in a school in Sibu forced some students to stand in a fish pond for 30 minutes for clogging up the toilets with their sanitary pads.
I found this old report in the Straits Times Singapore on corporal punishment and I thought that it brings up some good points.
Straits Times, Singapore, 6 October 2003
Abdullah supports using cane in school
But the DPM also cautions against abuse should the Education Ministry expand caning powers to control unruly students
By Reme Ahmad
in Kuala Lumpur
SPARE the rod and spoil the child? Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi would seem to agree.
He has concurred with an Education Ministry's proposal to expand the power of caning students to all teachers, instead of just the disciplinary masters and principals.
This followed shocking cases of fighting among students, and reports quoting a ministry official saying that 76,300 students had disciplinary problems, including gangsterism, last year.
But Datuk Seri Abdullah said care must be taken to avoid abuse, and he suggested more discussions between parents and schools before implementing the move in the classroom or during school assemblies.
'I personally would not stop the ministry from implementing caning in schools as long as it is not excessive,' he said.
'We know that children normally fear caning, either in school or at home.
'I agree with caning but there is concern that if all teachers are given the power, there will be excessive caning,' he said in Ipoh on Saturday, in response to questions from reporters.
Yesterday, Datuk Seri Abdullah added that he wants teachers to be trained as counsellors to help troubled students.
The ministry had in 1997 ruled that only principals and discipline masters could use the rod.
But its director-general, Datuk Abdul Rafie Mahat, said recently that all teachers should be allowed to discipline those in their classes. It proposed giving canes to all teachers, amid reports of ill discipline and fighting among groups of students.
A student nearly lost his wrist just two weeks ago after being slashed in a fight between two groups of 22 students in Perak.
This was just days after 12 students ganged up to beat a schoolmate at a matriculation hostel in Malacca.
These two incidents were widely reported in the media and raised alarm bells among educators, parents and government officials.
Malaysian officials, however, were quick to point out that the 76,300 problematic students were less than 1.2 per cent of the total student population of seven million nationwide. Many felt the cane should be used sparingly.
National Unity and Community Development Minister Siti Zaharah Sulaiman said yesterday that children should be caned only in serious cases.
Punishment is a last resort, added a columnist in Mingguan Malaysia newspaper.
Perak's education director, Datuk Adnan Ibrahim, said teachers would use the cane sparingly because they 'fear parents making police reports and the issue being brought to courts and causing problems'.
If this report is still relevant, then public caning in schools is still allowed. What is unclear is what the guidelines are in regards to carrying out this type of corporal punishment.
I've said this before and I'll say it again here. I think there is a place for public caning in our schools but it should be carried out in a way which follows procedure strictly e.g. there should be strict guidelines in regards to the types of offenses that qualify for public caning such as the destruction of school property, public fighting, gross disrespect shown towards teachers or headmasters and so on. I think that slapping students have no place in a classroom since it can be meted out in a way which can be irrational and prone to sudden impulses.
In regards to the other minor offenses such as failure to hand in homework, it's much harder to 'legislate' for such punishment and I think we should leave it up to the wisdom of the teachers and headmasters of the individual schools.
I found this old report in the Straits Times Singapore on corporal punishment and I thought that it brings up some good points.
Straits Times, Singapore, 6 October 2003
Abdullah supports using cane in school
But the DPM also cautions against abuse should the Education Ministry expand caning powers to control unruly students
By Reme Ahmad
in Kuala Lumpur
SPARE the rod and spoil the child? Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi would seem to agree.
He has concurred with an Education Ministry's proposal to expand the power of caning students to all teachers, instead of just the disciplinary masters and principals.
This followed shocking cases of fighting among students, and reports quoting a ministry official saying that 76,300 students had disciplinary problems, including gangsterism, last year.
But Datuk Seri Abdullah said care must be taken to avoid abuse, and he suggested more discussions between parents and schools before implementing the move in the classroom or during school assemblies.
'I personally would not stop the ministry from implementing caning in schools as long as it is not excessive,' he said.
'We know that children normally fear caning, either in school or at home.
'I agree with caning but there is concern that if all teachers are given the power, there will be excessive caning,' he said in Ipoh on Saturday, in response to questions from reporters.
Yesterday, Datuk Seri Abdullah added that he wants teachers to be trained as counsellors to help troubled students.
The ministry had in 1997 ruled that only principals and discipline masters could use the rod.
But its director-general, Datuk Abdul Rafie Mahat, said recently that all teachers should be allowed to discipline those in their classes. It proposed giving canes to all teachers, amid reports of ill discipline and fighting among groups of students.
A student nearly lost his wrist just two weeks ago after being slashed in a fight between two groups of 22 students in Perak.
This was just days after 12 students ganged up to beat a schoolmate at a matriculation hostel in Malacca.
These two incidents were widely reported in the media and raised alarm bells among educators, parents and government officials.
Malaysian officials, however, were quick to point out that the 76,300 problematic students were less than 1.2 per cent of the total student population of seven million nationwide. Many felt the cane should be used sparingly.
National Unity and Community Development Minister Siti Zaharah Sulaiman said yesterday that children should be caned only in serious cases.
Punishment is a last resort, added a columnist in Mingguan Malaysia newspaper.
Perak's education director, Datuk Adnan Ibrahim, said teachers would use the cane sparingly because they 'fear parents making police reports and the issue being brought to courts and causing problems'.
If this report is still relevant, then public caning in schools is still allowed. What is unclear is what the guidelines are in regards to carrying out this type of corporal punishment.
I've said this before and I'll say it again here. I think there is a place for public caning in our schools but it should be carried out in a way which follows procedure strictly e.g. there should be strict guidelines in regards to the types of offenses that qualify for public caning such as the destruction of school property, public fighting, gross disrespect shown towards teachers or headmasters and so on. I think that slapping students have no place in a classroom since it can be meted out in a way which can be irrational and prone to sudden impulses.
In regards to the other minor offenses such as failure to hand in homework, it's much harder to 'legislate' for such punishment and I think we should leave it up to the wisdom of the teachers and headmasters of the individual schools.
Monday, July 23, 2007
"On The Other Side of the Fence"
I was interviewed by Mark Disney, fellow alumnus and a local publisher specialising in Education periodicals in Malaysia.
In the 3rd issue of "Prospect Malaysia, Malaysia's Premier Higher Education Magazine", he was kind enough to solicit my views on Malaysia's education system. And guess what, he juxtaposed it against another fellow alumnus, the more famous one, Khairy Jamaluddin - captioning the story "Young Turks on Education - UMNO's Khairy Jamaluddin and DAP's Tony Pua Square Off". (Note: It was a tame affair, for its 2 separate interviews ;))
Well, Mark was kind enough to submit my interview story to Malaysiakini as well, so you can read it here. It doesn't contain anything new which I have not said on this blog (and I think after more than 700 posts, we have said a lot!). But if you are looking for a concise version of my views, it's a good start. ;)
In the 3rd issue of "Prospect Malaysia, Malaysia's Premier Higher Education Magazine", he was kind enough to solicit my views on Malaysia's education system. And guess what, he juxtaposed it against another fellow alumnus, the more famous one, Khairy Jamaluddin - captioning the story "Young Turks on Education - UMNO's Khairy Jamaluddin and DAP's Tony Pua Square Off". (Note: It was a tame affair, for its 2 separate interviews ;))
Well, Mark was kind enough to submit my interview story to Malaysiakini as well, so you can read it here. It doesn't contain anything new which I have not said on this blog (and I think after more than 700 posts, we have said a lot!). But if you are looking for a concise version of my views, it's a good start. ;)
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