THE huge amount of money donated in a short timeframe to help stranded university students showed the public is not confident with the politicians in charge of the country’s education, said an academic. 

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Dr Sharifah Munirah Alatas said this also sent an indirect message to the government, especially the Higher Education Ministry, to take education more seriously. 

She added that the RM150,000 donated by the public in less than 24 hours for a campaign initiated by Dr Maszlee Malik should serve as a lesson for politicians to re-evaluate their role in society. 

“The fact that there were more than 4,700 applicants for #siswajagasiswa shows Malaysian youth and their parents take education seriously. It also shows that the pandemic has affected thousands of households, who reacted negatively to the higher education minister’s directive,” said Sharifah. 

“I think the bulk of people who donated to this cause, however little they may have given, feel that the ministry should step up in their performance. 

“In a way, the urge to donate and support Maszlee’s donation drive sends an indirect message to the minister and her officers that they should take education more seriously,” she said. 

Sharifah said this incident was a lesson for politicians not to abuse their positions, but instead help the rakyat when the need arises. 

Maszlee, who was Pakatan Harapan education minister, raised more than RM150,000 to help stranded university students, following last-minute intake changes on Friday. 

In his Facebook post yesterday, the Simpang Renggam MP said he managed to collect RM150,648 from the public within 24 hours. 

He also received more than 4,700 applications from students affected by the ministry’s decision to postpone intake for October following the rise in Covid-19 cases. 

Minister Noraini Ahmad was heavily criticised for making last-minute changes in the registration of new students. 

Following backlash from students and parents, the Parit Sulong MP asked students who had arrived at campuses to remain there until further notice and advised others to postpone their travel plans.

Noraini said the ministry only suggested the suspension of registration following the spike in virus cases in the country.

Sharifah said the government must be more efficient when implementing policies, adding that the ministry should have communicated constantly with the universities to ensure contingency plans are in place. 

“Even though this period of Covid-19 is unprecedented, we are now six months into this pandemic, with six months of experience. 

“We have known for months the possibility of a spike in infections, and more so in the run-up to the Sabah elections. There is no excuse for the ministry not to have backup plans. 

“The procedures during all phases of the movement-control order are well-documented. There is no reason why the ministry cannot coordinate with the universities, on stepping up tight procedures, with strict adherence to these standard operating procedures, and continue with in-person registration,” she said. 

She added that it was a matter of implementing tasks efficiently, coordinating procedures, strictly adhering to health safety measures and constant communication. 

“This latest chaos of suspending in-person student registration demonstrates their lack of concern for the youth, as well as the rakyat in general. 

“Education is a key attention-grabber for Malaysians. It is scrutinised endlessly, and rightfully so. The ministry better shape up,” she said.

No one is at fault

Prof Dr Teo Kok Seong however said the ministry had to make last-minute drastic measures as the number of positive cases rose unexpectedly.

The principal research fellow at UKM’s Institute of Ethnic Studies said no one is to be blamed for what happened.

“Desperate times call for desperate measures. Nobody is at fault in this scenario. The situation was uncertain. 

“I hope we can all accept what has happened and not point fingers at anyone. What is important is the students are safe,” said the ethnolinguistic expert. 

Prof Ahmad Martadha Mohamed from Universiti Utara Malaysia, on the other hand, agreed with both scholars. 

While acknowledging it was not fair to blame the ministry, he added that the government could have avoided such a situation if there were proper mechanisms in place. 

“The decision was made based on the current scenario so it is not fair to put the blame on the ministry. 

“But the situation could have been avoided. A special task force to discuss the government’s policy in the time of a pandemic should have been formed. 

“This should involve all stakeholders, not just security and health, so that discussions can be holistic.” 

He added that the ministry could have managed the information flow in a more effective way. 

“If there had been a one-stop centre for the public in rural and urban areas to access and get the latest information on the pandemic, I think this problem could have been avoided. 

“In this modern era, we need information quickly. We cannot rely on traditional methods,” he added. – October 5, 2020.