ACADEMICS are disappointed that there has been no change in policies in public universities despite the formation of a new government led by reformist Anwar Ibrahim.

They have complained that repetitive coursework, long working hours and pointless bureaucracy at the administrative level are among many “useless regulations” they have to go through yearly, if not daily.

They expressed dismay at the hassles they have to face, including being treated like “people without brains”.

The comments were made months before last year’s general election when Ismail Sabri Yaakob was prime minister.

Indonesian International Islamic University academic Sharifah Munirah Alatas said to have a clear change in policy, the government must start with repealing the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 (UUCA).

She also raised the problem of intellectual imperialism and academic dependency on universities and the civil servants in the Higher Education Ministry.

“The problem with our universities and our higher education system/policy predates the Anwar Ibrahim administration, and many previous administrations under various prime ministers,” she said.

“It goes way back to what happened post-May 13, and the enactment of UUCA. So first and foremost, the government (current or future) must repeal UUCA.

“UUCA is a huge obstacle to a world-class higher education standard, but it is not the only problem we face.

“There are problems of intellectual imperialism and academic dependency. These need to be discussed seriously because I don’t think it has penetrated beyond academia, into the corridors of policy-making. It is now time to do so.”

The daughter of renowned scholar Syed Hussein Alatas said before 1969, there had been healthy “national hubs” of student activism in Malaysia, which were predominantly concerned with social issues, not just about “overthrowing the government”.

“In Malaya, for example, in the 1930s-1950s, there was a ‘youth awakening’ of sorts, which was part of an active student anti-colonial resistance across the colonised global south. This had an impact on Malaya as well,” said Sharifah Munirah.

“We should not forget our history. Student political consciousness emerged in the universities as a reaction to the inadequate education provided to the Malays under British colonial rule.”

She said student activism was part and parcel of the country’s history, and university life.

She opined that politicians in today’s government or in any future government should not feel irrationally threatened, and use “activism” as an excuse to retain UUCA.

“Not all student activism is radical or transgressive. If university or student activism is a real threat to society, wouldn’t UUCA have been in place long before 1969, given the presence of radical groups since the 1940s and 1950s?

“I will keep saying this… that we should repeal UUCA if we are serious about higher education reform, academic freedom and improving our university standards of research, debates, writing and teaching.

“It makes sense to repeal it, because it is part of an oppressive cocktail of legislature, meant to control all forms of political consciousness and activism, whether radical or not. It is meant to curb intellectual creativity, critical thinking and mature ideas,” she said.

‘Lack of political will’

The former Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia academic believes the no-change in policy is largely due to the lack of political will and the absence of “scholar activism”.

“I would be criticised for this because the usual response is that lecturers fear for their careers if they speak up,” said Sharifah Munirah.

“Well, I spoke up a lot, and I sacrificed a lot too. To all the academics out there who are quick to criticise, it is a choice one makes in the hope of enacting change for the country. We make choices because we are concerned with bigger issues and not just with our small lives.”

She said most lecturers do not publicly speak or write about their “academic freedom” and most do not form associations on campus to speak against these impositions on freedom.

“Lecturers are not publicly outraged if a book or scholar is banned from campus,” she said.

“In general, there is widespread ‘indifference’ and ‘silence’. VCs (vice chancellors) are very comfortable with this… as are the ministers.

“It is also linked to politics. There are no changes because of the heavy hand of politics or ‘political interference in higher education’, political patronage in top university administration and cronyism.

“Universities are plagued with dishonest leaders, who have no desire to reform their universities for the benefit of the nation. Dishonest education ministers over several decades keep this dynamic going as well.”

‘Commitment and openness’

Mirroring Sharifah Munirah’s views was Mazlan Ali of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.

However, Mazlan said while there has been no clear change in policy, the unity government must be given more time.

“Changes are not so obvious, but recently, Anwar, when asked by a student during his visit to a local university, agreed with the idea of speaker’s corner. It shows his commitment and openness,” he said.

“No prime minister has ever been asked or would agree to this. Let’s give them some time. After all, the government is only slightly more than six months old.

“They can also start with the repeal of UUCA, but to have a speaker’s corner is a good start.”

In December 2018, the Dewan Rakyat, in a historic unanimous vote cutting across the political divide, voted to pass amendments to UUCA, the Private Higher Educational Institutions Act 1996 (PHEIA) and the Educational Institutions (Discipline) Act 1976 (EIDA).

The first amendment was to remove subsection (c) in section 15(2) of UUCA, which previously banned students from taking part in political activities within the grounds of universities and colleges.

The second amendment was to remove subsection (c) from section 47(2) of PHEIA, which previously banned students from taking part in political activities on private higher educational institutions’ campuses.

The third amendment was to remove subsection (c) in section 10(2) of EIDA, to give students the right to be involved in political activities on campus.

The amendments also stated that any ongoing disciplinary action against students for participation in on-campus political activities under the acts will be discontinued when they take effect. – June 24, 2023.