FOR the first time in Malaysia’s history, national laureates are getting a special incentive of RM5,000 per month.

They are also the centrepiece of the Education Ministry programme sasterawan@faculti, which aims to promote interactions between eminent thinkers and youth.

Additionally, grants worth RM455 million have been made available for universities to conduct research to resolve society’s problems.

These are among the measures taken to promote critical thinking, intellectualism, academic freedom and a love of reading among students, said the Education Ministry in its report card for the year, released by Minister Dr Maszlee Malik today.

The initiatives are part of the ministry’s drive to reform the education system, to produce citizens with good character and prepare youth for the workplace.

Reviving academic freedom and universities’ autonomy is an important feature of Maszlee’s tenure, and he has repeatedly advocated for student activism.

“Our focus is to return universities to their original function, to resolve society’s problems. Once that is done, rankings will come by themselves,” he said in the report.

Seventeen public universities held 237 forums and exchanges involving thinkers and politicians from both the government and opposition this year.

To push student activism, 20 campus elections were held, and an independent student union was established at International Islamic University Malaysia.

“Forty-three students were appointed as members of the varsity senate at 20 public universities,” said the report.

“Students must continue to be a pillar of nation-building. Their voice should represent that of the masses.”

Also, the ministry held 3,703 reading-related programmes nationwide last year as part of its bid to turn Malaysia into a “reading nation” by 2030. – December 13, 2019.