Call on Najib to suspend UUCA for five years to demonstrate he has the political will to implement NEM priority to “retain and attract talent”

Congratulations to the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak that Malaysia has broken into the top 10 list of the world’s most competitive countries, taking the 10th spot on the Switzerland-based IMD’s World Competitiveness Yearbook for 2010 – up from 18th placing last year.

Malaysia, however, has still a long way to go if we are to break away from the decade-long economic stagnation, escape from the middle-income trap and take our rightful place in the international community of nations, catching up with nations which have overtaken us economically although we were ahead of them when we achieved Merdeka 53 years ago – like South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

For a start, has the Najib premiership the political will to break the logjam of resistance by vested groups represented by former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad and various interest groups which have been outsourced by Umno to champion rightwing, extremist and racist views like Perkasa and Gertak?

As a test whether Najib has the political leadership and will to implement New Economic Model (NEM) reforms, I call on him to suspend for five years the Universities and University Colleges Act which acts like a suffocating blanket stifling creativity, innovation and excellence among university lecturers and students, reducing the public universities into second class universities not only in the world but also in the country.

During my schooldays in the fifties, students do not think about foreign universities unless their results were not good or their parents have a lot of money. This was because University of Malaya, which had just separated from its Singapore campus to spawn two separate universities with University of Singapore, was recognized internationally as one of the world-class universities.

Today, the first option of Malaysian students is to get places in foreign universities and local placing in Malaysian public universities is their last choice, because of the drop and decline of standards and prestige of Malaysian universities.

It will not be long when public universities will be regarded as inferior to private universities in the country.

This is not progress but going backwards.
Today the Deputy Minister for Higher Education Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah lamented at the poor response to Speakers’ Corners created at higher education institutions.

He called on undergraduates to make full use of the space available within their campuses to speak their minds.

He complained that in some of the universities, “there is no activity at all at the Speakers’ Corner since the launch four months ago”.

Lets have the name of the public universities where the Speakers’ Corner are active and alive and those where they are no different from Graveyard Corners, because of the silence prevailing in both places.

Should the Deputy Higher Education Minister be surprised that the Speakers’ Corners in the public universities are as dead as a dodo?

Why are they a far cry from the vibrant and sometimes electrifying Speaker’s Corner in the University of Malaya in the sixties before the advent of the stifling UUCA?

What does Saifuddin expect when the UUCA is used to victimize the handful of more idealistic, activist and conscientised university students, like the political science students from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia who have been given notice that they would be charged next month under the UUCA for allegedly campaigning in the Hulu Selangor by-election?

Why the double standards with UMNO forming UMNO Clubs for overseas university students all over the world and yet prohibit students in local public universities from showing any interest in politics?

The Barisan Nasional government is doing the very opposite of what the NEM has advocated – and the question is whether the Najib government has woken up to the stark fact that globalization has created a fierce competition for talent and the ability of Malaysia to compete on a regional and global scale will depend on the government’s capability to retain and attract talent.

I therefore urge Najib to ask the Cabinet next Wednesday to take two policy decisions, viz:

  • To suspend the UUCA for five years; and

  • To withdraw all charges against UKM students and other students in the same category in public universities so that the UUCA ceases as a Sword of Damocles hanging over the heads of university students stifling their creativity, innovation and excellence.

12 Replies to “Call on Najib to suspend UUCA for five years to demonstrate he has the political will to implement NEM priority to “retain and attract talent””

  1. Najib should rightly be congratulated for at least his NEM’s and government transformation programme roadmap’s ability to massage Switzerland-based business school IMD’s perception to place Malaysia in 10th ranking in its World Competitiveness Yearbook 2010. Accordingly we share Top 10 ranking with Singapore, Hong Kong, the US, Switzerland, Australia, Sweden, Canada, Taiwan and Norway. He hopes this, with the recent strengthening of the Ringgit, will whet international investors appetite to take a bite in his plans to tap global bond markets by offering a US dollar Islamic bond of US$1 billion reportedly lead managed by his brother’s CIMB and HSBC.

    What’s IMD criteria? Based on whats on drawing board without implementation?
    IMD has not taken political factors into consideration?

    “For a start, has the Najib premiership the political will to break the logjam of resistance by vested groups represented by former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad and various interest groups which have been outsourced by Umno to champion rightwing, extremist and racist views like Perkasa and Gertak?” – YB Kit.

    Thats the issue isn’t it. Singapore, Hong Kong, the US, Switzerland, Australia, Sweden, Canada, Taiwan and Norway have not the problem of a “logjam of resistance by vested groups represented by former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad and various interest groups…”

  2. We have been producing low quality products like proton,lecturers,students and so on while exporting good ones abroad.This umnoputras are killing malaysia for thier selfish interests.We must change or soon fall into third world country.

  3. I do not understand why the Department of Skills Development, Ministry of Human Resources should invoke the “obligations for secrecy” clause to cover up its wrongdoings and negligence. By invoking the clause, the department is buying time to provide me with an answer. This issue is already more than 5 months old. The lawmakers should look into this sort of “privileged” protection given to the civil servants. It is the ordinary Malaysians that are at the disadvantage and at the receiving end.

  4. Now, I am wondering how heartless the government is? The skills training trainees have wasted more than 2 and half years after the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia. They are waiting for the Department of Skills Development, Ministry of Human Resources to confirm whether the skills training course attended is valid or not valid. The department has refused to give a confirmation by invoking the “obligations for secrecy” clause. Is the government allowing these talents to go down the drain to protect the skills training provider?

  5. http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/breakingviews/article/bn-must-respect-the-constitution-david-d.-mathew/

    Malaysia Insider reports: “After years of slumber, the guarantees contained in Malaysia’s most important document is slowly rising like a phoenix from the ashes to shine into the hearts and minds of ordinary Malaysians.”

    A BIG THANK YOU TO THOSE VOTERS IN SIBU AND ALSO FROM HULU SELANGOR WHO HAS MADE THE PHOENIX RISE FROM THE ASHES IN THE SPIRIT OF DEEPAVALI, THE TRIUMPH OF GOOD OVER EVIL.

  6. I hear from many overseas graduates are doing everything they can NOT to return to Malaysia eventhough the job market is very bad since last year in US and Europe. They rather go to any place else including places like Africa, Latin America, Mongolia then come back to Malaysia.

  7. Bigjoe :
    I hear from many overseas graduates are doing everything they can NOT to return to Malaysia eventhough the job market is very bad since last year in US and Europe. They rather go to any place else including places like Africa, Latin America, Mongolia then come back to Malaysia.

    More than 300,000 Malaysians emigrated in the last 18 months or so, according to Kua Kia Soong at Suaram.net. According to Berita Harian, the Malays are leaving too! Read the Berita Harian translation at:

    http://www.xtremeplace.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=72963.0

  8. Our country….our people …our natural richness…that auto pilot Malaysia into an intelligent well planned country…surely will attract investors.
    Foreigners are observing….the peace and harmony by the people.. for the people with the people….by the smart tolerating People’s Power…and not credited to UMNO B government..for what we are.
    It is a natural advancement process that UMNO B keep trying to claim credit for that.
    Yes Malaysia is a blessed country…where UMNO B devils are trying for decades to buy it up.
    Deal or no deal? NO DEAL…NAJIB!!

  9. International institude for Management development or IMD being based in Switzerland, a very rich country because a lot of foreigners keep their RM in the banks there. You can check out their website. In a world of business and money, there are a few prominent countries. China, Middle East, India. Talk about change. These countries were not even mentioned few years back. Money is their power. Between money and nuclear technology, which would speak louder ? Would a university student dares to talk about this openly without being threatened by the gomen who ikut suka aku ? Who wants to come back when the salaries offered is higher after the conversion rate ? If an agreement is made and signed, of course you have to retain the existing people. If not, the agreement is just a hoax. Who would want to support anyone who changes according to his whims and fancies, like everything is just a game and everything is just a hoax ? People can sue you for a breach of contract.

  10. What’s IMD criteria?
    It was mentioned that 327 criteria were based on. And 58 nations were listed
    http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gsMxjxcsHkUm6p4-yJZx9IYnoLvQD9FR5U3G

    But from their Press Release http://www.imd.ch/research/publications/wcy/upload/PressRelease.pdf

    The following seems to have been compared:
    1. Government Efficiency
    And, it is mentioned as
    ” Australia (5), Taiwan (8) and Malaysia (10) also benefit from strong demand in Asia, as well as the implementation of efficient policies, e.g. the three nations rank very well in government efficiency.”
    How many Malaysians will believe??
    2. Economic fundamentals (very low deficit, debt, inflation and unemployment) and position on export markets.
    3.Banking regulations and commodity resources.
    Is Bank Negara doing his job?
    4. Deficit, debt, Trade, Infra-Structure, Financial reputation.
    5. Recession, Domestic Market, Infrastructural Project and Investment.
    6. GDP Growth over the year
    7. Debt % as GDP in 2009
    -Malaysia is already 53.71, Singapore 48.01, China 2.72, HK 0.74 (being the best).
    -Malaysia seems close to Singapore. But, the key points is how well they had been managed. Or, for Malaysia, I believe a lot will ask if they are being Managed??
    8. Net Balance between foreign Liability and Foreign Asset.
    What do Malaysia Government has in counter with their debt? Especially when a lot of Government Asset, or Pension has gone into Concessionaires or GLC!!
    9. Foreign Reserved

    Personal feeling on this IMD
    1. It can hardly convinced me that that Malaysia can be in position 10 where the above is considered. Especially point 1.
    2. THE DEBT STRESS TEST could very much be misleading if setting 60% for all nations. And, thereby Malaysia can use it as an excuse for increasing deficit budget when they are now at 53.73%.
    Had the Government be accountable with the sufficient Transparency and Efficiency?
    How many GLC or Government Corporation are outside the Auditor General? (At least 20 or more during the time of ABW!!)

    HOW CAN MALAYSIA BE 10 IN THE LIST!!!!!

    1. No one in the PCB under the PM Department dare to even confirm the receipt of Complaint on Silence of Police/KUP/AG on a Lawyer assaulting/cheating Clients case.
    2. Bank Negara, Insurance Panel/Association/Insurance Company silent on Toyo… car company in cheating Client with used car panel instead of new ones where client has to pay.
    3. The fall short of Professionalism or Ethnics in the Account, Law and Government Services, even by the Disciplinary forces..

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