GERAK refers to the resignation of Umno member, Shah Headan, from the boards of Universiti Pertanian Malaysia (UPM) and UPM Holdings Sdn Bhd.  

His resignation letter was addressed to Higher Education Minister Noraini Ahmad, dated August 6. Ironically, the minister also tendered her resignation on the same day.

Both resignations are clearly related to the split in Umno and the decision by the party bigwigs to withdraw support for Muhyiddin Yassin’s fast-crumbling Perikatan Nasional (PN) regime. 

Politically, Shah Headan’s decision to resign from the UPM board may be seen as a principled one.  Either that or he was left with little option. 

Nonetheless, for Gerak, it sends a disconcerting message about how our public universities are tied to politics and politicians. 

Shah Headan says, proudly, no doubt, that his decision was made out of a sense of a duty to his party. How noble. But what about his duty to the university? 

Surely he must have understood that his appointment to the UPM board was to advance the interests and purposes of the university and that these do not run parallel to his party’s purpose or objectives? 

In this regard, it is appalling and a disgrace that people in power in politics currently seem to show no commitment to any public purpose and are locked simply into their petty political ends.

This follows hard on the heels of an expose in June by opposition politician Nik Nazmi that no less than 13 political appointments - like Shah Headan’s – had been made by the PN regime within the past year. 

That is about one appointment a month.

Of course, this doesn’t take into account other types of high-level appointments. 

This disgusting practice must stop, whoever may take over the reins of political power.

Gerak observes that we may have our own version of Nero fiddling right now, as the pandemic takes more lives and our public health system finds it has its back to the wall. 

Nonetheless, we in Gerak believe that this provides us – and whoever takes over from here – the opportunity, indeed the duty and obligation, to rid ourselves of this revolting practice of political appointments in public universities. 

They serve no academic and intellectual purpose. Like the many political appointments to government-linked companies they are made to reward the party faithful and line their pockets.  – August 8, 2021.

* PerGerakan Tenaga Akademik Malaysia is an association of Malaysian academics committed to educational reform.

* 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.