I knew better than many of you because I was graduated from a local university and an insider to know how UMNO goons twisted the system to pass the monkeys.
Let me exposed a real-life story on how my thesis grade was falling from A to E after the university changed the grading system to pass monkeys.
The original grading system is thesis report 90%, and presentation 10%. Meeting the lecturer for discussion carried no mark as in any other world-class university.
The shocking fact was after the end of semester, my lecturer who is a Malay told me I only scored 5% in meeting the lecturer session. There was no memo or letter to students on the change of grading system until the end of semester.
He said the university amended the grading system to award 60% mark for meeting lecturer session. I only met him once because he agreed I could carry on my research at my own pace since he was no an expert in the subject.
The final report supposed to carry 90% mark was reduced to 40%. The new grading system allocated 60% for meeting the lecturer and 40% for final report. No public announcement was made in the faculty about the changes.
A monkey can pass the thesis as long as the money is trained to walk to lecturer’s room for so-called discussion session. The monkey will score 60% which is 20% above the passing mark provided the monkey has never missed the room.
The final outcome was my thesis grade was dropped from A to E by using new grading system.
I did not appeal because it’s wasting time to deal with the racists.
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/race-quotas-politics-led-to-falling-um-standards-says-world-bank-study/
Race quotas, politics led to falling UM standards, says World Bank study
By Leslie Lau
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 17 — A World Bank publication has found that standards at Universiti Malaya have fallen and the institution has been kept at a disadvantage because of race-based admission quotas and political interference in university management.
In contrast, Singapore’s decision to prioritise research, keeping English as the medium of instruction and a merit-based admissions policy have all contributed to the success of the National University of Singapore’s success, according to “The Road to Academic Excellence,” which studies what contributes to a world-class research university.
The study also noted that Malaysian secondary school students are not well prepared for tertiary education.
It points out that the Malaysian education system promotes rote learning, conformity and uniformity rather than fresh and creative thinking.
The study is led by two scholars — Philip Altbach and Jamil Salmi — while various chapters see contributions from various academics.
Salmi, a Moroccan education economist attached to the World Bank, also notes that “disturbing political developments, from the burning of churches to the whipping of a woman for drinking beer in public,” also cast a shadow on Malaysia’s “image as an open and tolerant society.”
The comparisons between UM and NUS is contained in a chapter entitled “The National University of Singapore and the University of Malaya: Common Roots and Different Paths.”
The chapter is authored by Hena Mukherjee, a former Universiti Malaya department head with a doctorate in education from Harvard University, and Poh Kam Wong, an NUS Business School professor.
According to the study, “at an early stage, the Singapore government realised the universities’ role in sustaining economic growth.
“In contrast, after 1970, UM’s institutional goals reflected the New Economic Policy, an affirmative action plan for ethnic Malays and indigenous groups, put in place in the wake of disastrous 1969 ethnic riots that took the lives of hundreds of people on both sides of the racial divide.,” the study found.
The authors said that apart from the student quota system, the NEP translated into more scholarships to Bumiputeras, special programmes to facilitate their entry into higher education institutions, and the use of the Malay language in place of English in the entire education system by 1983.
“In UM and in government, the policy impact spiralled upward so that Bumiputera staff members, over time, secured almost all senior management, administrative, and academic positions.
“As NUS kept pace with the demands of a growing economy that sought to become competitive internationally, with English continuing as the language of instruction and research, UM began to focus inward as proficiency in English declined in favour of the national language — Bahasa Malaysia — and the New Economic Policy’s social goals took precedence.”
The study noted however that there has been widespread recognition that the implementation of affirmative action policies in Malaysia has hurt the higher education system, sapping Malaysia’s economic competitiveness and driving some (mainly Chinese and Indians) to more meritocratic countries, such as Singapore.
In the broader study, the lead authors found that research was an important element in the making of a world-class university, as well as top-grade talent.
“We’re both convinced that serious research universities are important in almost all societies,” Altbach, who is the director of the Center for International Higher Education at Boston College, told the New York Times last week in an interview.
Said Altbach: “Independence, luck, persistence, some kind of strategic vision, adequate resources — usually, but not always, public resources — good governance structures, good leadership, the ability to attract good students and so on. But we have found that the quality of the faculty is really crucial.”
Salmi, who co-ordinates the World Bank’s activities related to higher education, told the same newspaper of their new 390-page study, which will be released later this month, that their advice is like that supposedly given for a rabbit stew recipe: “First, catch your rabbit.” Only in this case the advice would be: “First, catch your faculty.”
“The difference between a good university and great university comes down to talent.”
This report by World Bank on Universiti Malaysa was not reported in The Star, NST, Utusan, Berita Harian, Kosmo, Harian Metro.
Why?
Jaguh Kampung mentality?
Terima kasih saudara nkkhoo.
Otherwise I would not know of this issue.
Lemah semangat saya bila terbaca cerita demikian.
Mungkin ada kebenaran lecturer suka diampu dan dilayan baik kalau anda ingin markah tinggi.
UM sekarang dah jatuh standard!
More scandals like top student candidates were interviewed and handpicked by the faculty dean to make sure there were Malay top students.
The top student award was not based on the meritocracy, but UMNO’s NEP quota.
kalau saudara ada bukti, adalah baik disiarkan dalam laman blog anda.
I was graduated many many years ago, already beyond the limit of 6 year grace period in the court.
Those students from local universities are aware about such scandals.
The academic quality of local universities drop to south due to poor teaching staff and students. But for me, bending the system to pass monkeys is the main culprit.
There has been a lot of talk on this matter.
It remains pure speculation as no one is brave enough to come out with evidence.
I could sue the university in the court, but got no money when you are a fresh graduate. I did not pursue the matter further because I got my first job immediately after my graduation.
Discrimination is a legal stuff in Bolehland under the disguise of NEP, what evidence do you need?
Those non-bumi lecturers in the local universities have concrete evidence, they will not disclose the evidence in court for their own iron bowl reason.
You should have met your lecturer for that private room session.
The lecturer could be having the needs to be fulfiled indoor.
Yet you deprive him.
Don’t believe UMNO propaganda to imply Malay man is addicted to belakang main.
maybe you are too young to realise that your lecturer has a brokeback tendency?
Because of the flip-flop policy, my son who had been studying in the English stream from Standard 1 to Form 3 now have to do his Science and Maths in BM when he moves to Form Four next year!
Muyiddin got no concern as his children are sent overseas for education.
Can the parents form a NGO and demonstrate against the flip-flop for this policy?
The students who enrolled into PPSMI should be continued to use English for science and maths until the end of their study.
Agreed.
Otherwise we should make it an election issue for BN to answer!
Flip flopping is now affecting the education of our children!
Non-malays will have difficulty because of this sudden switch. As Physics become Fizik and Chemistry becomes Kimia, Air (udara) has suddently become Water (air). How confusing it is for the coming Form 4 science (now sains) students!
Is it true that students in Form 4 next year has to do Science and Maths in BM?
If so, I may have to send my kid to Singapore as he has been learning these subject in English under PPSMI and it will be groosly unfair for him to learn the subjects in BM with the sudden switch because of the whim and fancy of flip-flop DPM!
This is becoming a burning as it is gathering momentum with the potential to tilt votes in the coming 13th general elections.
There is a price to pay when flip-flopping policy is affecting the education and the future of our children.
I found this interesting and appropriate remark on a forum page that basically sums up the situation of our education today:
“Where in the World is there a country when they more students to pass exams they lower the passing marks? Where in the World is there a country when they want to increase graduates students of one ethnic group they world lower the entry qualifications for that group? And when they want more of such graduates they also lower their passing marks! Malaysia we can (Boleh)! “
That is what I mean bending the system to pass the monkeys.
Monkeys also got intelligence as in the case of rise of planet of the apes. But we already have a land full of apes!
PAGE as NGO now trying hard to get momentum going to support PPSMI basically it’s the democratic choice of parents what their children gonna study !
I regularly watch RTM’s Syed Munawar (some called him the Oprah Winfrey of Msia) program like Dialog or Bicara Rakyat. I think Syed’s thinking brains have been controlled by UMNO not to be too liberal otherwise cari makan susah. The invited guests 99% are umno-friendly so you can make your own judgement on the messages they try to impart.
Syed Munawar adalah ejen untuk memutar-belitkan rancangan Pakatan!
I found this interesting observation in a blog:
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Why the Singapore universities are rated much more highly than those in Malaysia?
The first major difference is that Singapore scours the world to get the best lecturers to teach in their universities whereas Malaysia gives preference to employing even the most mediocre Malay lecturers even when very much better lecturers of other ethnicities are readily available locally.
Besides, Singapore only admits the best students to their universities whereas Malaysia admits a lot of mediocre students through the Matrikulasi system while denying admission to a lot of very much better quality students on racial grounds.
Hence in Malaysia, the GIGO (garbage in, garbage out) principle comes into play. Thus it is not surprising that most of the graduates are weak in English and the quality of their degrees are also suspect.
I know I will come off sounding preachy but at the end of the day, we are ultimately responsible for all of this. The inmates are running the asylum. Parents must take an interest not only in what their kids are taught, but also whether they have learned what is taught. Augment what you must. Tuition is not always the answer to every learning need. Language notwithstanding, basics have to be learned, by rote or otherwise. If there are enquiring minds and a stimulating home environment, kids are already well equipped. Streetsmart is as important as book smart.Parents should stop using the ‘busy’, ‘underprivilegded’ excuse. Step up. You bore them, for better or worse, you are responsible for them, not your neighbour, your boss, the government, muhyiddin, najib, even God. Ignorance is bliss, because knowing begets responsibility. In the end you always get what you deserve and you really will deserve what you get!