From FMT:
The sorry state of Malaysian academics
Malaysians are very devoted to preserving public peace. In fact, no society in the world promotes public chaos as a value to uphold.
Our short history after independence betrays one violent incident, that of the May 13 riots. We do not want a repeat of that episode. So, discourse in our society is carefully channelled with that in mind.
However, knowingly or subconsciously, trends in the current political narrative add fuel to potential chaos. In many ways, we are worse off now than we were in the period leading up to the 1969 racial riots. Part of the blame lies on our academics.
As much as our democratic space has opened up since May 9, 2018, we are faced with a new difficulty. We are overwhelmed with an information and analytical overflow.
Malaysians are grateful that more information is available, with less censored. However, a certain strata of society needs to take responsibility for packaging it honestly.
I do not mean that the federal security forces, police, state and federal religious agencies and the Sedition Act have to criminalise versions of the truth. There are no “versions of objective truth”; there is only one objective truth. It is fed by consistent logic and rational analysis.
Packaging truth lies with the more educated members of the public who have the trained skill to disseminate ideas productively. These are people ordinary citizens look up to for guidance. These are our academics.
Herein lies the problem. Ownership of consistent logical analysis has been hijacked by prima donnas among this educated class. They strut in and out of our media, disguising their “logical” writings and video interviews with ideologically-offensive and inaccurate critiques of our socio-political problems.
These so-called public intellectuals and academics engage in their own brand of mental manipulation aimed at projecting their personal agendas.
Academics and intellectuals are looked up to in Malaysia. However, it is time the public wakes up to what they are looking up to.
Malaysians should know what a public intellectual is before we confer such a title to any Tom, Dick or Harry. We must also know when to write off that public intellectual as obsolete. We must isolate the fluffy and dishonest from the dedicated and authentic.
To illustrate this, two critical developments in our recent socio-political development will be highlighted.
A recent article about closing down our 20 public universities is one example. It demonstrates a kind of emotionalism so uncharacteristic of academia. It is ideologically reactionary and aggressive.
Only a small percentage of critical readers will choose to read between the lines. They will see through to the real message behind its call to close 20 public universities.
What is more important is the clever use of self-glorification coupled with humble praise of past scholars, constructed to fool the reader. This cunning use of dialectic may mesmerise a majority of readers. However, it does not fool the true scholar and the discerning intelligent Malaysian citizen.
Post-GE14 Malaysia needs less polemics and rhetoric, and more sincere critiques of socio-political problems.
Readers these days prefer a frank rendition of the sorry state of our education system. We want to know why academics in our public universities have remained silent in critiquing the trajectory of Malaysia Baru.
We do not subscribe to an “all or nothing” philosophy.
In my previous writings, I have mentioned that major social change in many societies, including India, Indonesia and the US, began as student and academic movements.
It is a fact that Malaysian academics have failed in their tasks as agents of social change. They have either forgotten what their role is, or they have chosen to take the phlegmatic path to quick promotions.
They have also preferred cheap recognition over seven-figure research grants, irrespective of whether they promote a deep philosophical transformation or not.
Malaysians are aware of the shortcomings of our universities. I need not belabour the point.
A more serious issue demands attention. This concerns the recent Rome Statute debacle surrounding four academics. Weeks have gone by and they remain silent despite the accusations hurled their way.
An excerpt from the article mentioned above reads: “There is no future for innovative thoughts. There is no future for new permutations of race relations. There is no new and higher constructs of truths.”
Is the academia not compelled to be innovative? Is the academia not dedicated to devising new analytical permutations? Are academics not obliged to construct and re-construct the truth based on empirical fact and sound analysis?
Academic integrity compels us to analyse our empirical research honestly. It is an insult to logic and an embarrassment to Malaysian academia to churn out papers and executive summaries that are rigged to pander to a hidden agenda.
However, the problem will not be solved if we give up by saying “close down the universities”. We should focus on exposing these half-baked, opportunistic, degreed individuals.
The hardest part in this endeavour is persistence and consistency. Unfortunately, too many of us are into instant gratification, national recognition, media publicity and positions in government entities. We are not prepared for the long haul of inner struggle.
Intellectuals of note throughout history have struggled through marginalised lives, isolated and unrecognised. It is about time Malaysian academics realise that this in itself is the earthly, and other-worldly reward.
The freedom to express ideas is a value held close to all academics. Almost a year after the Pakatan Harapan government came into power, a positive trend in this freedom is obvious.
Yet, due to some kinks in the rational processes of many academics, they are unable to steer the narrative into more constructive debates. They have constructed intelligent critiques, yet the underlying messages are self-serving and useless.
Public intellectuals and academics have a noble role to play. They should remain consistently relevant in their goal to develop a critical society, given the institutions already in place.
There is no room for selfish, egotistical agendas.
Our short history after independence betrays one violent incident, that of the May 13 riots. We do not want a repeat of that episode. So, discourse in our society is carefully channelled with that in mind.
However, knowingly or subconsciously, trends in the current political narrative add fuel to potential chaos. In many ways, we are worse off now than we were in the period leading up to the 1969 racial riots. Part of the blame lies on our academics.
As much as our democratic space has opened up since May 9, 2018, we are faced with a new difficulty. We are overwhelmed with an information and analytical overflow.
Malaysians are grateful that more information is available, with less censored. However, a certain strata of society needs to take responsibility for packaging it honestly.
I do not mean that the federal security forces, police, state and federal religious agencies and the Sedition Act have to criminalise versions of the truth. There are no “versions of objective truth”; there is only one objective truth. It is fed by consistent logic and rational analysis.
Packaging truth lies with the more educated members of the public who have the trained skill to disseminate ideas productively. These are people ordinary citizens look up to for guidance. These are our academics.
Herein lies the problem. Ownership of consistent logical analysis has been hijacked by prima donnas among this educated class. They strut in and out of our media, disguising their “logical” writings and video interviews with ideologically-offensive and inaccurate critiques of our socio-political problems.
These so-called public intellectuals and academics engage in their own brand of mental manipulation aimed at projecting their personal agendas.
Academics and intellectuals are looked up to in Malaysia. However, it is time the public wakes up to what they are looking up to.
Malaysians should know what a public intellectual is before we confer such a title to any Tom, Dick or Harry. We must also know when to write off that public intellectual as obsolete. We must isolate the fluffy and dishonest from the dedicated and authentic.
To illustrate this, two critical developments in our recent socio-political development will be highlighted.
A recent article about closing down our 20 public universities is one example. It demonstrates a kind of emotionalism so uncharacteristic of academia. It is ideologically reactionary and aggressive.
Only a small percentage of critical readers will choose to read between the lines. They will see through to the real message behind its call to close 20 public universities.
What is more important is the clever use of self-glorification coupled with humble praise of past scholars, constructed to fool the reader. This cunning use of dialectic may mesmerise a majority of readers. However, it does not fool the true scholar and the discerning intelligent Malaysian citizen.
Post-GE14 Malaysia needs less polemics and rhetoric, and more sincere critiques of socio-political problems.
Readers these days prefer a frank rendition of the sorry state of our education system. We want to know why academics in our public universities have remained silent in critiquing the trajectory of Malaysia Baru.
We do not subscribe to an “all or nothing” philosophy.
In my previous writings, I have mentioned that major social change in many societies, including India, Indonesia and the US, began as student and academic movements.
It is a fact that Malaysian academics have failed in their tasks as agents of social change. They have either forgotten what their role is, or they have chosen to take the phlegmatic path to quick promotions.
They have also preferred cheap recognition over seven-figure research grants, irrespective of whether they promote a deep philosophical transformation or not.
Malaysians are aware of the shortcomings of our universities. I need not belabour the point.
A more serious issue demands attention. This concerns the recent Rome Statute debacle surrounding four academics. Weeks have gone by and they remain silent despite the accusations hurled their way.
An excerpt from the article mentioned above reads: “There is no future for innovative thoughts. There is no future for new permutations of race relations. There is no new and higher constructs of truths.”
Is the academia not compelled to be innovative? Is the academia not dedicated to devising new analytical permutations? Are academics not obliged to construct and re-construct the truth based on empirical fact and sound analysis?
Academic integrity compels us to analyse our empirical research honestly. It is an insult to logic and an embarrassment to Malaysian academia to churn out papers and executive summaries that are rigged to pander to a hidden agenda.
However, the problem will not be solved if we give up by saying “close down the universities”. We should focus on exposing these half-baked, opportunistic, degreed individuals.
The hardest part in this endeavour is persistence and consistency. Unfortunately, too many of us are into instant gratification, national recognition, media publicity and positions in government entities. We are not prepared for the long haul of inner struggle.
Intellectuals of note throughout history have struggled through marginalised lives, isolated and unrecognised. It is about time Malaysian academics realise that this in itself is the earthly, and other-worldly reward.
The freedom to express ideas is a value held close to all academics. Almost a year after the Pakatan Harapan government came into power, a positive trend in this freedom is obvious.
Yet, due to some kinks in the rational processes of many academics, they are unable to steer the narrative into more constructive debates. They have constructed intelligent critiques, yet the underlying messages are self-serving and useless.
Public intellectuals and academics have a noble role to play. They should remain consistently relevant in their goal to develop a critical society, given the institutions already in place.
There is no room for selfish, egotistical agendas.
My school days began long before 1981.
ReplyDeleteWhat is clear to me , the Malaysian education system started going downhill years and years before that, and it continued to deteriorate after 2003.
The blogger trying to simply pin this on one person is just promoting his lucrative private agenda.
Tun Razak and Hussein Oonn's time -it was still OK
DeleteOf course after 2003 it would CONTINUE to be bad - the rot did not just set in yesterday (but in the period 1981 to ...), and once sets in, can't be stop overnight
F*ck lah!
DeleteDIDN'T the rot start with the settings formulated by The Razak Report written in the 1956 & the Rahman Talib Report of 1961?
U r, indeed, the antithesis who is fitting perfectly into the mould as described by Dr Sharifah.
"Is the academia not compelled to be innovative? Is the academia not dedicated to devising new analytical permutations? Are academics not obliged to construct and re-construct the truth based on empirical fact and sound analysis?"
Ooop… remove academia with whatsoever suits the current u. Paid provocateur?
The Razak Report 1956 & the Rahman Talib Report of 1961, written with hesvy Race Nationalist agenda, truly laid the seeds of destruction of the country's education system, going decades into the future.
DeleteThe Melayuization of previous English schools, the sidelining of Vernacular schools.
The "thinking not allowed University culture.
It was all under a policy roadmap laid out in the 80s
By the 80s
DeleteThe title of the writer Sharifah's article is:
ReplyDelete"The sorry state of Malaysian ACADEMICS", emphasis mine.
Note the word "academics", not politicians. The Harapan government (ie Harapan politicians) has/have allowed for greater academic freedom but unfortunately the academics have not taken this opportunity. They suffer from mental inertia or fear.....most of them were appointed by the past establishment and system of "not what you know but who you know to get that Professorship. Don't rock the boat, only a few more years to retirement, then dapat full pencen..."
The blog title places the blame solely on Toonsie but Sharifah did not mention Toonsie's name even once.
Since 1955 till today we have had 25 Education Ministers, all from the same race and political party or alliance. They must all take responsibility for the sad state of affairs, not just Toonsie.
But Sharifah did say:
QUOTE
The freedom to express ideas is a value held close to all academics. Almost a year after the Pakatan Harapan government came into power, a positive trend in this freedom is obvious.
Yet, due to some kinks in the rational processes of many academics, they are unable to steer the narrative into more constructive debates. They have constructed intelligent critiques, yet the underlying messages are self-serving and useless.
UNQUOTE
So Sharifah actually praises the Harapan government after just one year in power but unfortunately the mindset of the academics is still stuck in the mode left behind by a 60-year old legacy of 25 Education Ministers all from one race and one political party (except Maszlee, but some say Bersatu and UMNO same same...ha ha I give you that).
they were brought up (became an academician) and nurtured during 1981 to 2003
Delete"they were brought up (became an academician) and nurtured during 1981 to 2003"
DeleteWakakakakaka… so desperado in cari pasal that fitnah pun bolih had!
Another one of yr bloody lame excuse!
Assuming those academicians started their teaching assignments after Master/PhD. That would been their 'nurturing' were done DURING their affirmations yrs - ie long before 1981!
Who's the pm & em before 1981?
Mamak in yr alternative reality, RIGHT?
Dr Sharifah is talking about the sorry state the ACADEMICS are in, not politicians; the Harapan government is doing their part to give them more academic freedom, but old habits die hard, the IGP is still old school and pulls out the Sedition Act, fortunately he is about to retire....
ReplyDeleteBelow is one example of the forces at play: on one side the New Malaysia supporting academic freedom and on the other the Old Malaysia held back by 60 years of systematic mind control.
Syed Hussein Ali (sociologist and politician) who bravely spoke up with academic freedom at a Rome Statute forum organised by University Malaya is now under probe by the police under the Sedition Act. Tommy Thomas (AG) was in the panel too. The four academics who purportedly advised the Council of Rulers on why Malaysia should not accede to the Rome Statute were also invited to the forum but did not show up. I wonder why....?
There is greater academic freedom after GE14, the fact that the forum was allowed to take place in the first place is testament to that, syabas Harapan, and even the AG was in attendance, but it takes more than 1 year to overcome 60 years of systematic conditioning. The existing cohort of academics are all old school, they are not likely to buck the trend or rock the boat because their pencen is at stake. We wait with bated breath for the new batch of academics...
Just three days ago I was having breakfast and as the shop was fulled I shared a table with two guys who were eating roti canai. Interestingly, both were geologists who graduated from UTP. One has got a job for RM1,500.00 per month, but the other one is jobless and is providing grass cutting service for residences. When we finished, I paid for their breakfast and I gave the grass cutter RM200.00. He thanked me so many times. Honestly, I don't know whether it is the sorry state of Malaysian academics or whether it is the sorry state of Malaysian graduates.
ReplyDeleteThe grass cutter probably makes more than 1,500pm. I think you should have given the 200 to the graduate with the job. He needs it to pay back PTPTN. Grass cutter no need to pay, all income in cash.
DeleteThe grass cutter, if he is hard working and has good people skills, can earn more than RM 2,000 per month, tax free..but it is hard work under the sun.
DeleteThe expected display of the averaging to doom theory.
DeleteUnemployable graduates - with one been able to think out of the box to find WORK of any nature, while the other one, most likely just want to get a job related to his/her discipline!
What's the GPS scores of these two unemployed geologists - >3.8 or <3?
U should venture to London to find out how many science/technical graduates wait at the table while looking for a better job!
There r many art graduates too doing incidental jobs to make ends meet while scouting for jobs.
Mind u, many of them come with ace credits in their fields of study!
Interesting point since you mentioned geologists, as I had some contact with the profession through the children of relatives.
DeleteWhen crude oil was above $ 100 per barrel and going up, and the world looked like facing a permanent shortage of oil, geologists and the related profession of geophysicists were the elite of their organisation.
Oil exploration companies made multi-million dollar drilling bets based on geologist and geophysicists best assessment on where the oil was underground. Senior management usually had to approve the go-ahead, but in reality , the geologists and geophysicists made the call.
It was based on science and sophisticated equipment, but ultimately not that much different from rolling the dice at Genting.
The top-drawer geologists , many based in Singapore, but working in tough places all over the world were earning high US Dollar paychecks.
After the petroleum price collapsed many were laid off or contracts not renewed.
The young recent geology graduates really have very few opportunities in the field they trained for, and have to be open minded on what other jobs they can go for. The Mining industry, the other major employer of geologists is also in a slump.
How refreshing to hear from academics/professors who speak honestly thru to their profession and specializations instead of unmerited/kangkung/backdoor academics/professors who dare not even come out to defend what they say/write to the public.
ReplyDeleteHow do you explain away the rot so noticeable during the BN regime heydays when:
1. Academics/professors coming out on media talking about certain topics when they do not have the knowledge specialisations mentioned but use their titles or universities name to whitewash their unqualified kangkung opinions.
2. Universities awarding honorary awards to individuals/politicians/wives etc who are not outstanding in their contributions to society.
3. Active politicians been made Chancellors/Vice Chancellors etc.
4. Research grants in the hundreds of millions given out but nothing much to show by some universities and higher institutions of learning.
5. Academics/professors who talks like "Jack of all trades but Master of none", behave and act like clowns/politicians and spend more time on the golf courses/political work/organising tours/seminars to holiday resorts all at the expense of students time and taxpayers monies.
The only way out is to reform the whole education system and make sure the politicians and politics stay out of the system.