The fate of our universities when USM gets only 37% of budget while NFC squanders millions

I REFER to my earlier letter on talks in the streets of Penang that Malaysia’s pioneering accelerated programme for excellence (APEX) university, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), has been left in the doldrums, high and dry for the cesspool.

It seems USM had in December 2011 started an exercise to retrench some 1,000 or more contract workers comprising cleaners to researchers due to financial constraints.

I visited USM’s website and found this:

“APEX performance measures for world-renowned universities have to be measured within the context of “academic space” which in USM’s case is the “sustainability issues at the bottom of the pyramid”. The key indicators used by USM for the budget request is according to three main pillars, namely, talent, governance and resources.

“The proposed budget was given due consideration in its preparation in line with the current financial and economic situation.

Only received RM234.4mil

The university has made a budget request totalling RM624.5 million for the fiscal year 2009 to 2011 of which RM234.5 million was granted. The shortfall of RM390 million or 62.45% has affected the university’s plans towards achieving its target.

The total expenditure for the period 2009 till 30 November 2010 amounts to RM141 million, indicating an achievement of 91% of APEX funds received from the central agency for the said period.” (for more details visit http://www.usm.my/index.php/ms/gerbang-info/muat-turun/key-transformation.html, download document No.7 and see pg 29)

With a shortfall of RM390 million or 62.45% in federal funding, is it a wonder that USM is now forced to cut down its APEX activities?

If only the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC)’s millions of ringgit in soft loan is used to support quality higher education, Malaysia would be able to progress faster with quality manpower.

Instead, the federal government continue to insist that the loan granted to NFC to breed cattle so that Malaysians can enjoy affordable beef, but used to buy multi-million ringgit condominiums, luxurious S-Class Mercedes Benz car, etc, is priority and not an abuse in public funds.

The federal government cannot even get it right for the pioneering and just one APEX university, what is the fate of Malaysia’s tertiary education?

Your guess is as good as mine.

Jackson Ng is a Retired Journalist