Come clean on bankrupt head of medical faculty dept, university told

 

Tajuddin Abdullah said a university’s failure to address concerns about the bankruptcy status of a member of its teaching staff could erode public confidence in the institution.

PETALING JAYA: The public university accused of employing a bankrupt as head of a department in its medical faculty must show accountability and furnish full details of the engagement to the higher education ministry, an academic said.

Academy of Sciences Malaysia fellow Tajuddin Abdullah said higher education minister Zambry Abdul Kadir should hold the university’s board of directors accountable if the institution fails to address the issue.

Ultimate responsibility in the matter falls on the board, he told FMT.

“If there’s no issue, say so and move on.”

Charles Santiago.

He said the public may see the university’s inaction as an attempt to sidestep a significant issue so as to avoid being embroiled in controversy.

“But failure to address the matter could erode public confidence in the institution,” said Tajuddin.

Questions about the academic’s status were raised on social media after he was interviewed by a news portal recently.

A search conducted with the insolvency department confirmed that the academic had been declared bankrupt in 2014, and remained undischarged as of April 25 this year.

Several netizens also claimed they had enrolled in a private medical university started by the same person some 10 years ago but was later shut down, forcing the government to intervene.

On April 29, Zambry ordered the university to furnish a full report on the matter.

Since then, repeated checks by FMT with a university spokesman reveal that it has yet to address the matter.

FMT is withholding the name of the institution and the academic pending an official response.

Meanwhile, former Klang MP Charles Santiago cautioned the public against rushing to conclusions, saying bankruptcy reflected poor financial and business risk-taking rather than academic standing.

Speaking to FMT, Santiago said university students stand to benefit if the person, despite being a bankrupt, has the necessary academic credentials and a proven track record.

“The university appears to have violated the government’s employment terms, so the onus is on them to provide evidence and explain their reasons for doing so to the public,” he told FMT. - FMT