AUKU's Latest Amendment

The Star | May 6th, 2012

The latest amendment to the Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA) will apart from allowing students to have political affiliations, pave the way for them to enrich their attributes and facilitate their personal development.

STUDENTS can be actively involved in politics off campus and in peaceful rallies without worrying about getting into trouble with their universities, in the weeks ahead.

Paving the way for this change of landscape is the latest amendment to the Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA) which the ministry said was an attempt to add more elements of natural justice to the Act known by its Malay acronym AUKU.

The amendment was passed by the Dewan Rakyat via a voice vote on April 19, and will be tabled at the Dewan Negara on May 10.

Over the last four decades, students have not been able to take part in politics or rallies and faced a multitude of actions such as suspensions or even expulsions.

Universiti Malaya students staged a peaceful demonstration on the recent change of campus election dates.

Universiti Malaya students staged a peaceful demonstration on the recent change of campus election dates.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin had agreed that previously, public university officials had to carefully scrutinise and check if their students were involved whenever there were rallies.

However, there is a “caveat” though. All students are expected to be mature enough to understand that they would be subjected to natural legal process if they were to commit offences such as acts of crime, sedition and defamation, among others.

A Higher Education Ministry official explained at a briefing to editors last Wednesday, that it was meant to clear the air over amendments to the UUCA which is often seen as a touchy issue.

The official confirmed that the university will then naturally have the power to act upon the students who were found guilty by the courts.

However, the officials said, even those who are holding positions as student leaders in the university could stand as a candidate in either a state or parliamentary election.

“As elected candidates, they can continue as students at public universities so long as they do not campaign or bring their politics to campus. This applies to all irrespective of political affliations.

“They must remain neutral on campus,” he added.

“They will not get into trouble as long as they keep politics out of campus. We will not expect the university to haul them up just because they have returned from outside the campus wearing a shirt with a certain political party’s symbol,’’ said the official.

The official explained that although the amendments were made to the Act, Section 15 had always been the most contentious as it prevented students from taking part in the activities of political parties off and on campus.

Although students can now be involved in politics, the official said that this did not mean they could do as they as liked as action could still be taken against them if they were to break the law such as destroying public property.

As a result of the amendments to the Act, students will also have to sign a contract that will include the do’s and don’ts on campus, when they return to public universities in September.

“The contract will be drawn up by the individual universities but the ministry will ensure there is general uniformity,” said Mohamed Khaled.

The ministry official said the contract would help universities monitor the activities of students on campus.

“Students should not fear this contract as it is a mechanism to monitor the activities of students as well as the universities.

Mohamed Khaled (middle) chatting with media representatives after the briefing on the Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA) at the ministry.
“The breach of contract can go both ways. So, the interest of both sides will be safeguarded,” he said.

In an immediate response, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Zaini Ujang said the UTM’s legal adviser was drawing up its contract.

“It should be finalised once the Act is gazetted,” he said, adding that all vice-chancellors were briefed on the amended UUCA.

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia vice-chancellor Prof Tan Sri Dr Sharifah Hapsah Syed Hasan Shahabudin who is curretnly in Hanoi, Vietnam, said the university’s officials were waiting for more information from the ministry’s legal officer.

“It seems that it may involve an undertaking on major matters such as not forming political branches in the university.

“Action on other matters such as wearing party badges or carrying party paraphernalia will be left for each university to decide,” she added..

In the past, there had been clashes between student affairs divisions of the universities and the students over rigid adherence to outdated campus regulations.

Mohamed Khaled said each public university would also set up a students’ complaints committee to listen and act on grouses.

“This is the first time such a channel has been created. The committee will be chaired by the university’s vice-chancellor and will meet whenever there are complaints by students,” he added.

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Govt scholars must work locally after graduation

The Star | April 24th, 2012

PUTRAJAYA: Beginning this year, the award of scholarships will be based on the need for scholars to meet their bond obligations upon graduation, by securing employment either with the public sector or an approved private sector company in Malaysia, the prime minister said.

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said he was confident that with the move, the Public Service Department (JPA) and Talent Corporation Malaysia Bhd (TalentCorp) would optimise the nation's best and brightest, to ensure a strong pipeline of top scholars for the Government Transformation Plan (GTP) and Economic Transformation Plan (ETP).

He said Malaysia could not be on the road to a knowledge-intensive and innovation-led economy without the talent to drive it.

"Malaysia has talent, indeed we have global talent, the only problem is that the world knows it and therefore Malaysia has to compete for its own talent," he said.

Najib said in terms of engaging fresh graduates entering employment, TalentCorp sets out a three-prong approach, namely to create awareness on job and career opportunities, enhance the transition from school to workplace such as through internship, and optimise talent such as management of government scholars.

He said during the National Student Consultative Council event last year, student leaders called for greater exposure to careers in National Key Economic Area sectors, and that the government committed to 12,000 internship allocation.

"Today it gives me great pleasure to announce that the incentive is further extended to encompass companies under the Petroleum Income Tax Act 1967," he said. Najib said to further enhance the targeting of upskilling programmes, TalentCorp and the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) would collaborate and coordinate upskilling programmes for graduates to ensure resources are invested according to priority sectors.

"The upskilling is projected to benefit close to 10,000 graduates per year, mainly engineers and will involve an allocation of about RM200mil per annum across various ministries," he said.

Meanwhile, Najib said TalentCorp had outlined three approaches to attract and facilitate global talent, which are reaching out to Malaysians abroad, facilitating returning talents, and enhancing expatriate facilitation.

He said upon immigration innovations introduced last year, over 500 top professional expatriates from leading companies had been granted the Residence Pass, a 10-year visa enabling them to reside and contribute to the Malaysian economy.

"I am pleased to announce that the Residence Pass will be extended to successful entrepreneurs engaged in knowledge-intensive activities," he said.

The prime minister said this in his keynote address when launching TalentCorp's Talent Roadmap 2020 at Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC), here Wednesday.

The Talent Roadmap 2020 articulates TalentCorp's role and plan of action towards delivering greater talent availability, in line with the ETP.

Najib said Talent Roadmap 2020 identified three strategic thrusts for talent interventions to optimise Malaysian talent, attract and facilitate global talent, and build networks of top talent. - Bernama

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Grads: Skills to Pay the Bills. That's It?

Source: Of grads and rewarding jobs

THE difficulties faced by graduates to find jobs, especially one that is related to their fields of study can be quite a task and has drawn much debate.

This seems to be a global problem. But the intensity of the debate here indicates that we, as a society, feel the issue is an important one.

There was a recent report about the education system not producing thinking graduates and it is no doubt a serious issue.

My analysis in this article arises from my experience as a businessman since I often meet entrepreneurs, and also as a visiting lecturer, where I am in contact with university students regularly.

To me, Malaysian graduates do not lack technical skills or qualifications. But what makes them less prepared for the job market is their lack of “humanistic” education.

Malaysia has a large number of technical and technological colleges where the different science disciplines are offered and taught.

A technical-oriented education will ensure that we have a good pool of technicians but companies do not look for technicians to fill their strategic positions.

A technical-oriented education will produce graduates with a desire to work hard who may be eventually driven by money.

Such an attitude may not be good for the nation as short-term hunger for money alone does not produce entrepreneurs.

What we need is a new education culture that produces individuals who look for careers with a purpose.

There has to be a higher aim in the job, and, that helps one contribute to nation-building. A job is, first of all, a vocation. What makes it interesting is the realisation that the job can shape our destiny and contribute to the destiny of the country.

But how can we produce individuals who can shape a nation’s destiny? Here I go back to the education system.

We have to perhaps revolutionise our education system from primary school right up to university level, and bring back the teaching and learning of history, literature, philosophy and some of the old topics in the syllabus that have now been left out.

A lesson on some of the world’s greatest historical figures, for instance, Alexander the Great, will not only enhance a student’s knowlege of this legendary leader but will also give one an insight as to the attributes and psyche of the person. Values will also be learnt along the way.

It is from the past that we can find inspiration and, above all, the roots of our relationship with our future. If we do not explore the roots, or, worse, if we cut off the roots, we will only produce students who will not know where to go, or start from.

If we have this new culture in education, we can hope to see a change in attitude in almost everything, and in our quest for jobs. The product of such a system will be individuals who are exposed and who have a holistic view of situations and who will succeed in the job market.

Money, I am sure, will come with that success. More importantly, we will see individuals who will push the country forward.

DR CARMELO FERLITO

Fellow at the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS).

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