I WOULD like to refer to the letter by Malaysian Academic Movement (Gerak) Crisis of leadership in Malaysian higher education, published in this column on July 25.

The tone and the expression of the letter is a clear reflection of the level of frustration and despair of the higher education community in this country.

Good, capable and sincere leadership is certainly what we are lacking at the apex of our higher education system, which has long been badly disfigured by political meddling.

Our universities now are mostly administered by politically savvy academics who know which side of their bread is buttered.

This state of ignominious affairs has been deliberately encouraged and allowed to thrive by political leaders.

It serves as a convenient platform to further expand their political grip on power at the expense of academic excellence and integrity, while allowing our universities to slide down into the depth of mediocrity.

The recent appointment of a number of politicians from a certain political party to the board of several universities is an indication that this trend will further continue and might even take a turn for the worse.

Good governance is the key to achieving academic excellence. Having politically connected academics as administrators and politicians as members of the boards of universities certainly would not contribute to this. The reverse would most likely be the outcome.

People who are familiar with our higher education landscape will realise that issues of incompetent management are among the most common grievances being raised by the academics.

This includes allegations of abuse of power, racial and gender discrimination, and blatant disregard of the principle of academic integrity and quality.

As the management of the universities are saturated with like-minded birds of a feather, the recourse by the injured academics to seek remedy to their grievances would most likely be obstructed with deliberately crafted obstacles and be met with a dead end.

The situation would be worse with the appointment of politicians as members of the respective boards.

The idea of allowing more autonomy to the universities, therefore, should be put on hold. Unless the right breed of leadership is in place, the granting of wider autonomy would only facilitate more abuse of power. Our universities are simply not ready for that.

What is sorely needed is a proper check and balance mechanism that is able to curb the excesses and abuses by those entrusted to administer and govern the university.

Unfortunately, we cannot expect this check and balance mechanism to emerge from within the existing system.

Changes in Akta Universiti or introduction of new legislation that would facilitate this are not likely to happen. Not in the current environment and by the present government.

To get around this problem, it might be a good idea that if all academic staff associations (ASAs) could band together and form a national association under one umbrella organisation.

Working together and mutually supporting each other, the ASAs would be able to collectively acquire a credible and forceful voice; and strong leverage to pursue their legitimate agenda.

The potential power of a union should not be underestimated.

Gerak is the only nationwide academic association of which the membership roll is made up of academic staff of various grades, from junior lecturers to senior professors that come from almost all public and private universities in the country.

With its track record as an active academic association that for years have been resolute in upholding academic freedom and integrity, it is time that Gerak take the initiative to bring all ASAs together under its wing and transform themselves into a union.

This is perhaps the only way forward.

The business of managing, developing and preserving the sanctity of our higher education is too important to be hijacked by the politicians and their servile academics.

It is time that true academics come forward to take charge. – July 27, 2021.

* Ahmad Ghazali Abu-Hassan is a retired soldier and a former academic.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.