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Thursday, October 17, 2019

Does Guan Eng dare to cut allocations for 4 'undignified' universities?

Star Online:

Make TAR UC a true people’s university

By Professor Dr. Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi





In this article, once again, I am writing to support that TAR UC should be allotted appropriate funding by the Pakatan Harapan government.

In the latest budget, Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong lamented that the PH government was still being extremely unkind to the Chinese community and those who voted the PH into power.

Lim Guan Eng, on his part, turned the matter around and said that the government will help TARUC if MCA relinquishes its ownership of the educational institution.

Last year, many would applaud Lim Guan Eng's stolid principle of non-interference of political parties in universities. Now, I am afraid, the joke is on PH and Lim himself.

After the disastrous Kongres Maruah Melayu organised by four public universities that showed clear support for racism and bigotry at an unprecedented level in the history of Malaysia, the rakyat would be scratching their heads asking, what the devil is Lim talking about?

Where is the lofty principle of 'non-interference' by political entities?



papa, he is talking 'bad' about my 'boe-laan-hood'

just eff-ing focus on your sudoku - semua olang mulah lupa one
 

The nyonya from the pasar malam knows that the congress was supported by one enthusiastic party from the PH.

The "aci" can see from her YouTube smart phone that it was attended by Amanah, PPBM and a few sprinkling of leaders from PKR.

I did not see any Malay DAP representatives. So clearly, DAP is absolved of this "dosa" of racism and bigotry. But the PH now bears the responsibility. It was extremely lucky that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, in his statesmanship wisdom turned the table on the racist academics and university leadership and reprimanded the Malays for their own self woes.

If not, we would have seen the last of the New Malaysia that the rakyat desperately wanted to see in this new government.

So, in my book, MCA scores one point above PH. MCA and TAR UC did not and, I think, will never organise a Kongres Maruah Cina as opposed to the four delinquent institutions that were UM, UiTM, UPSI and UPM.

I was hoping that the leadership of these four universities might receive a letter or a word of reprimand from the Education Ministry (MOE), the Agung or the Sultans but none seemed forthcoming.

I was hoping that there might be rumours of leadership changes but there is no movement. I was lastly hoping that there might be budget cuts of these four universities but the MOE has its budget increased significantly above others.

I hope the money goes to poor schools in Sabah and Sarawak instead of public universities, especially the racist four. To hope that the budgets of the four universities be cut by RM15mil and given to TAR UC instead would be too much of a fantasy to even be dreamt of.

Here is a question for Malaysians, if TAR UC were to give up their ownership, who would it give it up to?

Would Malaysians accept that MCA transfer ownership to the MOE?

Let's say the Federal Government buys TAR UC by paying whatever balance that is due after investing for four decades in the university, will the MOE take over then? Should Malaysians allow such a thing to occur?

Do Malaysians want another public university with an all Melayu leadership and a quota for Malays increased to 60%?

After the Kongres Maruah Melayu, no Malaysians who love this country as a Malaysian would even consider giving away TARUC to the PH government.

The PH government now has a negative balance sheet of trust, particularly in education. After the khat incident, the matriculation issue and now the Kongres, how can we fault the voters for feeling betrayed?


To me, reading the country's history of how UiTM became the bastion of Malay education supported and funded by the taxpayers, I say let TAR UC remain with MCA as a safe haven of educational excellence and impartiality.

MCA can increase this trust of the people of Malaysia by appointing trusted civil society members from various races and faiths to guide the university and proclaim an important point about making the university "owned" by the people.

I have made a similar suggestion about public universities having board members from civil society, but I am almost sure that my suggestion, like many others I have made, will be ignored. I hope that MCA might not ignore this suggestion as it is easy to implement.

If MCA can appoint the civil society members to its board, then the civil society should campaign for funding that may aid the university and let it be an affordable "people's university" producing quality graduates that have the "maruah Malaysia" and not be part of a racist and bigoted educational institution of our country.

If MCA can "relinquish" this symbolic sense of partial ownership by the people, then the PH should release at least 50% of the allocated budget for this year and the next.

That gesture may send a strong signal to the other public universities whose reputation has now been eroded by the four universities participating in the Kongres Maruah Melayu.

In 20 years' time, Malaysians must consider a trust fund for the people's university like an endowment system that would free universities 100% from either the clutches of pure capitalism and political interference by the MOE.

That way whichever political party takes the reins of Malaysia, we can be assured that at least one institution is left to save Malaysia from the racism and bigotry that seems to have no end in our system of governance. – Sin Chew/ Asia News Network


Professor Dr Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi is a professor at a local university

10 comments:

  1. The budget cut from UTAR was from the special matching grant that was unique to UTAR. But why special treatment for this uni? Do the students from the 4 universities that organised the Malay Dignity Congress enjoy this benefit too?

    “Non-political influence” you say? Look at the Board of Trustees of UTAR. Full of ex-MCA politicians. I mention just 2: Ling Liong Sik and Ting Chew Peh.

    https://utar.edu.my/Board-of-Trustees.php

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sorry you can't even differentiate between utar and taruc.

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    2. Read carefully, from last year’s budget.

      QUOTE
      Guan Eng: UTAR, TAR UC must be separated from MCA before getting more govt money

      Wednesday, 21 Nov 2018

      By MARTIN CARVALHO and HEMANANTHANI SIVANANDAM & RAHIMY RAHIM

      KUALA LUMPUR: Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng has insisted that MCA should break off ties with Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) and Tunku Abdul Rahman University College (TAR UC) before the government provides more allocations for the two institutions.

      "I would advise that next year, we will consider (more allocations) but at the same time, we want to be sure that there is a clear separation between education and politics.

      "Both UTAR and TAR UC must not be owned by MCA," said Lim in his winding-up speech for his ministry on Budget 2019.

      He was replying to MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong who queried why the government had slashed funds for the two institutions.

      Dr Wee pointed out that the government had merely provided a RM5.5mil development fund for UTAR and TAR UC, but had not provided any matching grant.

      Lim said that there could be a different forms of allocations for both the institutions if they were not owned by MCA.

      He reiterated that politics and education needed to be separated.

      "This is a brave decision made by my officers and I will support their decision.

      "We cannot give matching grants to all schools, this would mean an outflow of money which we cannot bear," he said, explaining the reason for only providing the development fund but not the matching grant.
      UNQUOTE

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    3. doesn't answer whether Guan Eng has the same principles to now deny UM the public funding since its VC has played politics. Or, is it Guan Eng lacks the balls to tok-kok against a non-Chinese (Malay) institution?

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    4. You ask the wrong question.

      Why always DAP (this time Guanee) have to clean up after Bersatu (this time Maszlee) messes up. Last time Nie Ching had to clean up after Maszlee khat mess.

      Can MCA follow their principle of not "mixing politics with education"?

      Will Ling Liong Sik and Ting Chew Peh resign from the university Board of Trustees and Wee Ka Siong from the University Council?

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  2. Totally agree, I think LGE n DAP despise anything MCA. They hated MCA and now that they are the Lord, only vendetta is in their mind. They should be humble and magnanimous as Victor. Wonder if they will celebrate if TARC close down due to insolvency! I think it's a disgrace to hold back funding to a noble institution. Had it not been for MCA setting up UTAR where would all these poor n qualified students go n they are mainly Chinese n Indians. The government quota system has denied them a place in the public university. Finally, many of the TARC ex students are supporters of PH. HOW would they feel?

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  3. Education is being politicised,Chinese will suffer.
    Chinese should work together,MCA join DAP, all works for the wellbeing of Chinese and all Malaysians, then others will not step on us like unwanted baby.

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  4. MCA claims UTAR is non-political. Rubbish.

    Many years ago UTAR rejected an offer from philanthropist Koon Yew Yin to build students hostels. Why? Is it the fact that many MCA cronies already have properties surrounding the Kampar campus, rented out to students? Or is it because Mr Koon has different political leanings?

    Please note UTAR Council members: Ting Chew Peh, Fong Chan Onn, Ong Ka Chuan, Wee Ka Siong (yes, the one and only), all MCA politicians.

    https://utar.edu.my/University-Council.php

    QUOTE
    Why should MCA interfere with Utar?

    By Koon Yew Yin. Posted on April 26, 2018

    .......the truly altruistic gesture of philanthropist Koon Yew Yin. He made an offer of RM30 million, quite gratuitously, for the building of hostels for University Tunku Abdul Rahman (Utar) students in Kampar.

    Ever since the university was founded, its students have to find their own accommodation outside campus. In many cases, they have to pay exorbitant rents far beyond the means of poor or even middle class students.

    The generosity of Koon was brought to my attention by the unflattering headline ‘Tycoon wanted seat on council’ in the Sun (Sept 3, 2010). The article’s sub-headline was ‘Koon also wanted Utar residential village named after him, says MCA division chief’.

    The MCA division chief in question, Ipoh Timur’s Fah Chong, had said Koon’s requests were not acceptable as they had “exceeded the university’s jurisdiction and [could be] deemed an interference in the management of the university”. Thong added that hostels could not be named at one’s whim and fancy.

    In his immediate response, Koon countered that while it was correct that while the facility was to be named after him, what he had specified was that the hostel blocks should be named after the fundamental rights of citizens such as Liberty, Justice, Equality, Fraternity, Freedom, Integrity, etc.

    Koon also categorically denied he had ever requested a seat on the Utar council, clarifying instead that he had agreed to Utar’s counter-proposal for a task force to oversee the construction of the hostels. He said his requests, including for a seven-man task force (four from Utar and three to be nominated by him) to oversee the construction of the hostels, and for all construction contracts exceeding RM10,000 to be open to competitive tenders, were to ensure everything was done in the interest of the students. He said it was not meant to interfere with the management of the university.

    One may ask, why should the Ipoh Timur MCA division chief Dato’ Thong Fah Chong criticize the well meaning and generous offer of RM30 million for by a good Samaritan?

    Thong Fah Chong even questioned the motive of Mr Koon Yew Yin for his offer of substantial financial assistance to UTAR. He accused Koon of wanting to sit on the Council of the University. This is a false accusation......

    ....Furthermore, why should a member of the MCA interfere with an offer of a donation to the University? Should it not be left to the University to accept or not accept the offer without having to cast aspersions on the motive of the donor? If you must refuse the offer, surely it is polite to refuse it graciously? But the way it has been handled by Thong Fah Chong as the representative of the MCA has reflected badly on the upbringing of the man as well as on the sincerity of the Association.

    Not surprisingly, Koon has now withdrawn his offer. Can you blame him? Anyone in Koon’s shoes would have done the same thing.

    For his offered RM30 million, Koon did not even ask for a professorship to be named for him. All he asked was for any eventual profits from the hostel rental in future to be overseen by a foundation in his name, and for this foundation to disburse scholarships and other forms of assistance to Utar students.
    UNQUOTE

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    Replies
    1. mca hew see tong donate the land, its a win win, a university that bring development to kampar, i heard he own the most land bank in kampar, is hew a blood sucker, yes, did the student suffer, not really. did kampar become better, i think so if compare to most perak township.

      many of koon demand is ridiculous with malice intention, if he is that sincere to help the students, he shdnt make any donation with so many stipulated condition, if u r the mgt, would u wan a bragger to tok tis tok tat how one shd run a college? koon used to own gamuda, how gamuda get many of it project if not the same modus operandi similar to mca?

      lge yet to settle the public racist university quota issue but thick face enough to talk political interference of a no way go chinese/indian/dll student college, lge truly a useless mahathir dog.

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