In its drive to fulfil the target of 70% PhD holders among lecturers =
across local government-funded universities, the Higher Education Minist=
ry has been aggressively sending lecturers overseas to pursue their PhDs=
. These lecturers need to fulfil only two general conditions, obtaining =
a band of 6.5 in the International English Language Testing Service (IEL=
TS) conducted by the British Council and second, be offered a place by a=
foreign university.
Given the government=E2=80=99s move (as announced in the 2008 Budget)=
to double the cost of living allowances for students in countries like =
the UK, US, Australia, New Zealand and Canada, this suggests that our ec=
onomy is good at the moment (Alhamdullilah!) and that the government has=
lots of money at its disposal to send these lecturers overseas.
Nevertheless, the ministry is not spending public money wisely by sen=
ding many of these lecturers overseas. Firstly, it is a fact, from the p=
ast records, that many lecturers who were sent overseas came home withou=
t a PhD (even though most of them proudly came home with a Mercedes). As=
such, the Higher Education Ministry should learn from their past mistak=
e of sending the wrong candidates. Lecturers must prove their academic c=
ompetency before they are funded by the government to go overseas.
They must have published at least one journal article in English on t=
heir own accord and not on an "Ali Baba" hitchhiking basis. Our public f=
unds will definitely go down the drain if these lecturers have problems =
in writing their theses in English and subsequently come home empty-hand=
ed (I mean, without a PhD). Just for public awareness, the Higher Educat=
ion Ministry spends at least RM500,000 on a lecturer to do his/her PhD o=
verseas.
Secondly, it is a fact that almost all of these lecturers find themse=
lves a job (or even jobs) while studying despite the two-fold or even te=
n-fold increase in their cost of living allowance. I know a few lecturer=
s who are currently working in the UK, some part-time while others even =
full-time. They told me that it is perfectly fine to not complete their =
studies within the stipulated three-year period as the Higher Education =
Ministry will surely grant them a full-salary, six-month extension and m=
ore subsequent extensions.
Aren=E2=80=99t these lecturers taking advantage of state-funded oppor=
tunities? Just look around and compare =E2=80=93 self-funded PhD candida=
tes will try to complete their studies within the shortest time possible=
while government-funded candidates will try to complete theirs in the l=
ongest possible time!
Thirdly, why must the Higher Education Ministry send so many of these=
lecturers overseas when they can pursue similar courses at our local hi=
gher institutions at a fraction of the cost? Is it that our local univer=
sities have no "class" at all ?
May I suggest that the Higher Education Ministry spend public money w=
isely by not sending any Tom, Dick and Harry overseas when they do not h=
ave the aptitude to succeed? It is unfair to send the academically incom=
petent lecturers when many young, talented and academically bright Malay=
sians can be groomed to be future first-class lecturers who will in turn=
, transform the universities in which they serve into world-class univer=
sities.
The current scenario is dismal where substandard local universities g=
rant double awards =E2=80=93 by giving the PhD students a full salary, a=
full scholarship and then a double bonus (e.g. a three-fold increment i=
n their salary and a promotion from DS45 to DS52 without even considerin=
g whether or not these lecturers possess that "mutu istimewa" (special q=
uality) as stipulated in the promotion circular.
Lecturers were promoted despite their poor academic ability and a no-=
substance curriculum vitae, not even publishing in any national or regio=
nal journal articles, let alone international ones. Only substandard uni=
versities would consider promoting lecturers on the basis of one=E2=80=99=
s contribution in a managerial position and a few conference proceedings=
(these were not even peer reviewed and many lecturers share conference =
proceedings!).
It is also an irony that despite the "40-years-old ruling", our unive=
rsities are still sending their academic staff who have already passed t=
he 40-year-old age limit to pursue their studies locally or overseas on =
a full-pay full-scholarship.
While taxpayers do support the advocated lifelong learning programme =
among Malaysians, it should not be at the expense of the taxpayer. It is=
not a good investment considering the huge cost and the number of years=
they are able to contribute upon their return from the three-year docto=
ral venture.
Stop the rhetoric of "internal breeding" as an excuse to send lecture=
rs elsewhere for a PhD. They can always do a PhD in their respective uni=
versities under the supervision of an academically-capable supervisor.
The Higher Education Ministry should monitor these "privileged lectur=
ers" while they are overseas to ensure that they fully concentrate on th=
eir studies rather than working and make some money on the side (possibl=
y to buy a Mercedes).
If they are unable to complete their studies within the stipulated th=
ree-year period, direct them to come home and not waste any more of the =
public=E2=80=99s money.
In order to be at par with world-class universities, terms for Higher=
Education Ministry sholarships should be as firm and stringent as other=
prestigious scholarships. Then there will be no hanky-panky where a lec=
turer deliberately delays his/her thesis submission so as to gain extra =
mileage in getting a full-pay full-scholarship extension.
Finally, I have heard about lecturers who bring their family members =
overseas (of course, their whole family=E2=80=99s flight tickets are bou=
ght on government money) and then send their family members home secretl=
y so that they can continue to enjoy or receive the full family allowanc=
es.
The Higher Education Ministry should take disciplinary action against=
lecturers who claim family allowances when their families are actually =
residing in Malaysia. This is blatant cheating as Higher Education Minis=
try staff are incompetent in their monitoring of such lecturers. Maybe t=
he Anti-Corruption Agency can swing into action to bring these lecturers=
to justice.
Disappointed Rakyat
via e-m=
ail
=
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