Prof Aziz Bari has become a critical test case whether Malaysia is moving towards greater democrartisation, academic excellence and enhanced International oompetitiveness or the reverse.
The suspension of Aziz by IIUM could not have come at a worse time for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s National Transformation Programme whether government, economic or political.
It has firstly thrown into doubt Najib’s political will, commitment and stamina whether the Prime Minister and his administration are prepared to see through the wide-ranging government, economic, educational and political reforms without which Malaysia stands no chance of escaping from two decades of middle-income trap, overtaken by one country after another most notably Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea.
Malaysia cannot expect to achieve the goal of a high-income developed nation unless and until we can produce world-class universities, not just in the eyes of Ministers but acknowledged internationally. Continue reading “Aziz Bari – a critical test case”