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Straits Times (Used by permission)
KUALA LUMPUR: Universiti Malaya Chancellor Sultan Azlan Shah
said yesterday the notion that the government was anti-university or that the
university was anti-government was a narrow viewpoint and should be discarded
from the minds of a developed nation.
Speaking at the university's 47th convocation, the Sultan of
Perak said a strong government would willingly accept findings by universities,
and "universities, on the other hand, should not be partisan in their studies
but instead, carry them out objectively, supported by accurate facts and
figures".
"Universiti Malaya should welcome the positive attitude and openness of the
government of the day by engaging in constructive activities based on the
principles of knowledge. The academia atmosphere in universities should always
be safeguarded."
Sultan Azlan Shah said universities "should jealously guard the atmosphere of
academia and not allow it to be polluted by anti-knowledge and anti-intellect
activities."
He also said the atmosphere of learning should not be sacrificed and that
universities, ideally, should be free of domination or manipulation by any
political group.
Political bodies should play their roles by ensuring that the
learning atmosphere in universities was not undermined by partisan political
activities that disregarded the principles of knowledge, he said.
He also welcomed the government's move to amend the Universities and University
Colleges Act 1971, saying it was a wise decision.
Describing universities as a site for developing the minds and intellect of the
people, Sultan Azlan Shah said a wise government would make universities its
partners in the country's development.
"The universities' intellectual resources can help policy makers in carrying out
research and provide independent analysis to implementors on the country's
development programmes."
Sultan Azlan Shah also spoke about the "brain gain" programme aimed at bringing
back Malaysian experts who were serving abroad.
He said universities could ensure the success of the programme by introducing
attractive incentives and functioning as a channel for the programme.
"Universities can also help overcome the brain drain caused by the migration of
Malaysian intellectuals to other countries," he said.
He said universities also had their social, political and economic
responsibilities in ensuring that the courses offered were effective in helping
the low-and medium-income group to achieve better socioeconomic status.
"Failure of universities to fulfil the objective will cause the group to remain
trapped in the vicious cycle of socioeconomic woes.
"If they (the university students) fail to achieve (better socioeconomic status)
upon graduating, they will have to wait for the next generation to attempt to
break free from their socioeconomic orbit."
He also called for a change in the perception that overseas degree holders had
superior creativity and abilities, were more analytical and strategic in their
thinking, and possessed better writing and communication skills, so much so that
they were regarded by employers as the first choice compared to local graduates.
"This has put the local graduates in an unfavourable position in the race for
jobs."
He said if the perception was not corrected, it could create prejudices against
local graduates and give rise to social imbalances.
"This will be compounded further if majority of graduates from public higher
learning institutions are from the lower economic strata, coming from the rural
areas, and among the Malays and Bumiputeras living in villages."
On Universiti Malaya, Sultan Azlan Shah said even though it was rated excellent
among the local universities, it should not feel that it was already at the
peak.
"The recognition should only be a stepping stone towards greater heights."
As an institution that is more than 100 years old, the university should not be
envious of younger universities in the region.
"The success of a university depends on its quality component. Universiti Malaya
should ensure that quality overrides other components and not be trapped in the
race for quantitative achievement." -- Bernama
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Circular No 304/2008
