Why are politicians giving out public varsity admission letters, asks group

 

The Malaysia Academic Movement (Gerak) has questioned the decision by certain public universities to rope politicians in to hand out admission letters to future students.

Gerak noted that last month, a video was circulated showing Sik Umno chief Mohd Tajuddin Abdullah handing out admission letters to potential undergraduates of Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM).

“The immediate question that we pose is: Why does UUM - or any public university - need a political party chief to award the admission letter on their behalf?

“And, more worryingly, where does the relationship start and where will it end?” Gerak asked in a statement.

The academic group pointed out that UUM is a public higher education institution funded by taxpayers and does not belong to any political party.

“An excellent university contributes to society through the provision of education, learning and research at the highest level, nationally and internationally.

“In doing so, universities, especially public universities like UUM, must be independent and free of external pressures.

“Alternative discourses and critics are, of course, welcomed and differences of ideas and opinions must be appreciated and entertained,” Gerak said.

'Does Umno choose students for UUM?'

In contrast, Gerak said political parties are made up of similar-minded individuals organised to exercise and acquire power and dissent is often frowned upon.

“How could these two institutions, one a public university, the other a political party, one UUM and the other Umno, work hand in hand in this manner?

“How deep is the relationship between these two institutions, surely meant to be separate from each other and certainly not joined together at the hip, like Siamese twins?” it said.

Gerak added that roping in a politician to hand out admission letters to a public university also raises perception issues.

“Indeed, does Umno have a hand in selecting students for admission to UUM?

“The award ceremony as pictured in the video conjures images and thoughts of such an amicable relationship between these two and easily ‘misleads’ the public into thinking that Umno controls UUM in having some say in student selection and enrollment,” it said.

The backdrop of the event bore the Umno and UUM’s logos.

Gerak said such practices should stop and the Higher Education Ministry should take notice of such incidents.

“If this is yet another bad habit of university administrators who wish to rub shoulders with political party leaders, then they should be given notice and advised to set up universities of their own and not use public funds to bankroll such activities.

“University administrators must separate their university responsibilities from their personal agendas, political views and aspirations,” Gerak declared.

 - Mkini