Maszlee removes more chairmen of public universities

Updated 7 years ago · Published on 31 Jul 2018 8:29PM · 4 Comments

Education Minister Maszlee Malik has axed the chairman of the board of directors for five universities as a part of the government's ongoing efforts to purge political appointees. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, July 31, 2018.

CHAIRMEN of five public universities were axed today by the Education Ministry as Putrajaya continued to cull controversial appointees to university boards.

In several letters sighted by The Malaysian Insight, Universiti Malaysia Sabah’s Zaki Azmi, Universiti Tun Hussien Onn’s Shufri Mohd Zin, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin’s Kamaruddin Hussin, Universiti Sains Malaysia’s Noorul Ainur and Universiti Putra Malaysia’s Anuar Ali among others found their services ended today.

The letters issued on July 23 were signed by Education Minister Maszlee Malik.

According to sources, the board of directors of the respective universities was also served with letters to shorten their tenure.

“The rest of the board of directors was also served with the letter,” a source who declined to be named told The Malaysian Insight.

Zaki was a former Chief Justice of Malaysia, Kamaruddin was a former vice-chancellor at Universiti Malaysia Perlis for 14-years, Anuar Ali was a lifetime academic and Noorul was the former secretary-general of the Higher Education Ministry when Barisan Nasional was in power.

Shufri is the managing director for TRC Synergy Bhd, one of the contractors for the Mass Rapid Transit Sg Buloh-Serdang-Putrajaya (Line 2) project.

There are also rumours that three more chairmen of public universities will be axed in the near future.

This would be followed by the reshuffling and termination of vice-chancellors of public universities.

Earlier today, The Malaysian Insight reported three members of the Universiti Malaya board of directors have had their services terminated effective today as Putrajaya ramps up its effort to remove political appointees to university administrations.

Last June, Maszlee had said vice-chancellors and deputy vice-chancellors of public universities who rooted for Barisan Nasional will be asked to resign from their positions.

The education minister said this is in keeping with the Pakatan Harapan policy of removing political appointees and replacing them with qualified people.

He was commenting on whether the Education Ministry would follow the move to halt political appointments in semi-public services, such as statutory bodies and government-linked companies (GLCs). – July 31, 2018.

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Comments

  • So that's where Zaki Azmi has been lurking since he retired as the Umno CJ... in academia! Appalling what has been going on all these decades with the BN crime syndicate in power.

    Posted 7 years ago by Antares Maitreya · Reply

  • Excellent move and hopefully there will be others very soon.

    Posted 7 years ago by Simple Sulaiman · Reply

  • Vice-chancellors and deputy vice-chancellors of public universities who rooted for Barisan Nasional must face the consequence of their action and resign honourably from their positions. Our education institutions must remain a place for teaching and learning excellence, not for political animals to roam about.

    Posted 7 years ago by Roger 5201 · Reply

  • MOE should also review the contract of the mamak cina, Ridzuan Abdullah Tee for his "outstanding" contribution to race relation under the previous administration.

    Posted 7 years ago by Roger 5201 · Reply