For cows and condos, there's lots of funds but when it comes to USM - zilch!

I AM back in Penang for the Chinese New Year celebration and guess what juicy stuff is out in the streets here?

Our pioneering accelerated programme for excellence (apex) university, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), has been left in the doldrums, high and dry for the cesspool.

Remember in September 2008 when the federal government announced that USM is the sole public university to be given the apex status on Aug 27, 2008?

It was the envy of all public universities. USM edged out other apex applicants - International Islamic University Malaysia, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Universiti Teknologi Petronas and Universiti Tenaga Nasional.

Well, look who is now having the last laugh? To be an apex university is no more an envy.

Word is out on the streets that USM had in December started a massive retrenchment exercise of its contract staff, numbering some 1,000 or more, comprising cleaners to researchers.

Why? Because it has run out of finances to pursue its ambitious apex programmes because the promised funds from the federal government never made it to USM.

RM60mil just talk

An initial funding of about RM60 million for the USM-apex programme, till today, is just talk.

But, the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC)’s RM250 million soft loan 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.

If USM can be disappointed by the federal government for a noble programme to raise Malaysia’s tertiary education standards, can one rely or believe what the federal government promises?

Is buying condominiums and luxury cars more important than programmes to raise education standards? You answer this, I rest my case.

This was what The Star reported on Sept 4, 2008:

“PUTRAJAYA: Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) has been granted apex status. With it, USM can expect hundreds of millions of ringgit in additional funding to transform it into Malaysia's first world-class university.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said that quantitative and qualitative criteria were used to select USM under the accelerated programme for excellence (apex).

Announcement time: Khaled flanked by deputies Dr Hou Kok Chung (right) and Datuk Idris Haron with a copy of the statement announcing USM as the country's first apex university.

“The selection committee evaluated each university's state of readiness, transformation plan and preparedness for change.

“After a thorough evaluation, the committee decided that only one university truly met all the criteria, namely USM,'' he told a press conference yesterday.

The Cabinet had agreed to USM being given the apex status on Aug 27.

The university that is given apex status is one that has the greatest potential among Malaysian universities to be world-class, and as such, would be given additional assistance to compete with top-ranked global institutions, added Khaled.

He said with apex status, USM will be expected to move up the World University Rankings with a target of top 200 in five years' and top 100, if not top 50, by 2020.

In last year’s Times Higher Education-QS World University Rankings, Universiti Malaya (UM) was the highest ranked Malaysian university at 246, followed by USM (307), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (309) and Universiti Putra Malaysia (364).

A selection committee headed by former Universiti Malaysia Sarawak vice-chancellor Prof Emeritus Datuk Dr Mohamad Zawawi Ismail short-listed USM, UM, UKM and UPM.

USM's transformation plan, entitled “Transforming Higher Education for a Sustainable Tomorrow” focussed, among other things, on diagnostics, medical biotechnology, waste management, pharmaceuticals, nano-technology, membrane technology and vaccines.

Asked why UM was not selected, Khaled said: “I hope the apex status will spur other universities to strive for excellence, too. It's not about selecting the oldest university but choosing one with a doable plan that can help us transform our higher education.” …”

USM today have 24 schools, 13 research centres, 6 units, 2 institutes, 1 teaching hospital and its holding company USAINS Holding Sdn Bhd.

Jackson Ng is a Retired Journalist