60

Autonomy Makes Sense

‘Abiding Times’, theSun, 21 May 2010

IT’S been a busy couple of weeks. I’ve marked about a ream of students’ papers, resurrected a couple of book projects, made headway with a new media project and, amidst having to defend my colleagues’ vehement objections to a minimum wage policy, have spoken at three different events: the IDEAS-SEDAR Local Elections Roundtable, the 5th National Congress on Integrity and the ASLI-BMS Malaysia-UK Partnership Dialogue. The last was particularly enjoyable, with Their Royal Highnesses the Duke of York and Raja Muda of Perak highlighting the many reasons why the historical relationship is strong and where it can grow in the years ahead.

These were expanded in the afternoon sessions, which touched on trade, Islamic finance, the legal system, problems in acquiring work permits, negative perceptions of Malaysia as a result of high profile incidents of intolerance and extremism, the lack of public transport in Kuala Lumpur compared to London where millionaires take the Tube, the benefits of airline competition with particular reference to Malaysia Airlines and Air Asia X and the possibility of British Airways restoring its LHR-KUL route, and the threat of Malaysian citizens losing their visa-free status. To this I added the historical and important defence relationship and the polities’ traditions of open markets and political freedom, with the Westminster system melding with our constitutional traditions that emerged out of the Perjanjian Derhaka and the Batu Bersurat Terengganu.

“Freedom of expression and association in universities has been correlated with the tenets of academic freedom and autonomy, so it is very encouraging to hear that academicians themselves are calling for these things.”

But by far the most popular theme was education, which was touched on by nearly every speaker. Topics included the still increasing numbers of Malaysians attending UK educational institutions either in the UK or in Malaysia, the plans for Newcastle University and Marlborough College (my alma mater) to open in Iskandar, discrimination against the Commonwealth vis-à-vis the EU with regards to tuition fees, declining standards of English amongst young Malaysians as they speak Manglish and rely on American sitcoms, the increasing popularity of private education for those with access in Malaysia, the attractiveness of destinations like Australia and the USA for an overseas education, and the attractiveness of Malaysian universities to young Britons.

On the last point, one contributor asked the very prescient question as to why on earth any foreign student would want to come to Malaysia when we still have the Universities and University Colleges Act that prohibits student activities which would be considered normal or even encouraged elsewhere: when I was at the LSE some of the most active societies were the political ones. Being active in campaigning and exploring opposing political views as a young person is regarded as important training to being politically mature in later life.

Freedom of expression and association in universities has been correlated with the tenets of academic freedom and autonomy, so it is very encouraging to hear that academicians themselves are calling for these things. The Vice Chancellor of Malaysia’s premier research university UKM, Professor Tan Sri Dr Sharifah Hapsah Syed Hasan Shahabudin (who was also present at the Malaysia-UK dialogue and talked about previous British student visit programmes) articulated her views on academic freedom in an interview with theSun two years ago, and recently she spoke of her university’s ‘journey towards autonomy’ as it attained self-accreditation status along with seven other educational institutions, meaning that they can accredit their own programmes without going through the Malaysian Qualifications Agency, a government body. The university’s Chancellor in his Royal Address marking the university’s 40th anniversary said: “Autonomy would mean the university can create, offer and implement academic programmes and manage student intake based on a quality system.”

Indeed, if all universities were to adopt such practices, the resulting competition would do wonders to drive up standards across our universities, just like they have done in British universities for centuries, even though, like here, the majority of universities are financed by the state.

In the meantime, there is an ongoing case regarding several UKM political science students allegedly campaigning in the Hulu Selangor by-election. They may face some punishment if they are found guilty according to the UUCA. Obviously the university must abide by the law, but we’re never going to seriously attract British students to this country if they can’t even express party political preferences in the same way that Tun Razak supported the Labour Party when he was in the UK.