Well, the Pakatan Harapan led government is beginning to show its true colours. Now, we have people's right to peaceful assembly and protest being violated by this shameful arrest of 2 student activist... Muhyiddin explain?
We have the Education Minister taking for himself the glory of being President of International Islamic University Malaysia
(IIUM). So wrong for the Minister of Education to accept such a position in one of the Universities which will be his responsibility as Education Minister. Will such universities receive 'special preferential treatment' - to avoid such public perception, an Education Minister should not take up such positions in any universities or education institution.
It was encouraging when Pakatan Harapan led government started removing 'political appointments', talking about doing away the high wages/allowances of CEOs, management, Directors of government owned or GLCs.
An MP or a Minister must not be interested in amassing wealth, positions, titles, benefits for himself, his family, his political friends and cronies. They should be focused on good governance and serving the people...Their income should just be their already high salary/allowance as Member of Parliament, or their even higher salary/allowance as Minister. They should not be earning anything more by getting themselves appointed to other position which pays salaries/allowances...
Pakatan Harapan led-government is a NEW government, which hopefully will not procrastinate or make a 'U-turn' in its values and principles, adherence to human rights and the rule of law...
OR maybe it be time for Malaysians to look at other alternatives...The lower voter turn-out, and even the reduced majorities may be an indication that people maybe starting to lose hope in this so called 'Coalition of Hope' government...
For the moment, people will be patient...giving time for this new government to bring about the needed changes ...but patience may be running out ...
George Orwell's Animal Farm may be an indication of what is happening ...When in power, they may simply change becoming no better than what they ousted...
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| Maszlee Malik |
It was encouraging when Pakatan Harapan led government started removing 'political appointments', talking about doing away the high wages/allowances of CEOs, management, Directors of government owned or GLCs.
An MP or a Minister must not be interested in amassing wealth, positions, titles, benefits for himself, his family, his political friends and cronies. They should be focused on good governance and serving the people...Their income should just be their already high salary/allowance as Member of Parliament, or their even higher salary/allowance as Minister. They should not be earning anything more by getting themselves appointed to other position which pays salaries/allowances...
Pakatan Harapan led-government is a NEW government, which hopefully will not procrastinate or make a 'U-turn' in its values and principles, adherence to human rights and the rule of law...
OR maybe it be time for Malaysians to look at other alternatives...The lower voter turn-out, and even the reduced majorities may be an indication that people maybe starting to lose hope in this so called 'Coalition of Hope' government...
For the moment, people will be patient...giving time for this new government to bring about the needed changes ...but patience may be running out ...
George Orwell's Animal Farm may be an indication of what is happening ...When in power, they may simply change becoming no better than what they ousted...
9/9/2018
Education
Minister must refrain from heading any university to underline universities’
freedom from political control
On the proposed appointment of Education Minister Dr
Maszlee Malik as the President of International Islamic University Malaysia
(IIUM) and the ensuing developments,
We the following undersigned civil society
organisations hold the following positions:
1. Education
Minister should not head any university to avoid conflict of interests. An
Education Minister who is concurrently the President of IIUM would be caught
with split of loyalty towards the Ministry and the University, as the two have
legitimate institutional interests that are and should not be identical. On one
hand, the Minister should not favour any university based on personal linkage
as he must be fair to all higher learning institutions. On the other hand, the
IIUM President must be prepared to fight for the best interests of the
university or universities in general, which the Education Ministry may not
necessarily agree. Such distinction of roles is pertinent for the healthy
functioning of both the Ministry and universities and a shared leadership in
one person is bound to compromise such check and balance and undermine the
legitimate interests of either if not both parties.
2. We
salute the Education Minister’s pledge to liberate, reform and advance our
universities towards excellence but all these require legal and organisational
reforms, not management control. Starting with the repeal of Universities and
University Colleges Act 1971, the Minister should work to end power
concentration, non-transparency, unaccountability, authoritarianism and
cronyism in our tertiary education institutions, not replacing old academia
warlords with himself or his appointees.
3. The
argument that the Education Minister doubling up IIUM President will save RM 500,000
annually as the latter’s salary is completely misplaced as the
check-and-balance between the Education Ministry and universities is not an
item for cost-cutting. If this logic is to be applied across the board, then
all Cabinet Ministers would have to helm many government-linked institutions
and corporations. This would likely result in the minister’s attention and
energy split too thin and likely poor leadership and management of both the
ministries and the government-linked bodies. It is time to cease our indulgence
for supermen and superwomen. It is also time to cease overburdening people and
concentrating power in a few as cost cutting measure. In particular, the
education sector must be alloted adequate budget to invest in new leadership
and avoid overburdening and concentrating of power in a few.
4. The
past precedents of two sitting Education Ministers, Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim and
Dato Seri Najib Razak, holding the IIUM presidency, which reflected the Old
Malaysia practice that personal linkage ensures development, must not continue
in the New Malaysia which the Education Minister helped to install on May 9.. In
a clear appreciation of new realities, the Prime Minister in waiting, Anwar
Ibrahim, has set an excellent example by declining to offer of IIUM presidency,
which should be emulated by the Education Minister.
5. The
Education Minister should honourably decline the appointment as the IIUM
President by HRH Sultan of Pahang as the constitutional head of IIUM. He can
certainly recommend a towering academic/intellectual who can enhance autonomy
and stature of the university, both at home and in the world, without a
ministerial office. Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Muhamad has made clear that the
appointment is not cast in stone. A graceful decline by the Education Minister
will allow a smooth return to the drawing board.
6. The
arrest of two IIUM students on September 8 night for protesting the Education
Minister’s appointment as the IIUM president, the first of student arrest since
May 9, is much regretted. We note the contradicting accounts by the Education
Minister and the Police on the arrest. We hereby appeal to the Education
Minister's wisdom for a decision that would uphold the freedom of universities
from undesirable influence and political interference. We believe this is a
cause the Education Minister himself identified with especially when he was the
subject of such occurrences.
Endorsed by:
1.
Agora Society
2.
Angkatan Mahasiswa Universiti Malaya
(AMUM)
3.
Angkatan Warga Aman Malaysia
(WargaAMAN)
4.
Bersih 2.0
5.
Centre for Malaysian Chinese Studies (Huayan)
华研
6.
Centre to Combat Corruption and
Cronyism (C4)
7.
Challenger Malaysia
8.
Challenges Foundation
9.
Childline Malaysia
10. Community
Action Network (CAN)
11. Demokrat
Universiti Malaya (DUM)
12. ENGAGE
愿景工程
13. Federation
of Malaysian Indian Organisation (PRIMA)
14. Gabungan
Persatuan Guru-Guru Sekolah Cina Malaysia (Jiaozong) 教总
15. Global
Organization of People of Indian Origin, Malaysia (GOPIO Malaysia)
16. Greenfriends
Sabah
17. Health
Equity Initiatives
18. Justice
for Sisters
19. Knowledge
and Rights with Young people through Safer Spaces (KRYSS)
20. KL
& Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH) 隆雪华堂
21. Kumpulan
Aktivis Mahasiwa Independent (KAMI)
22. LLG
Cultural Development Centre (LLG) 林连玉基金
23. Malaysian
Atheists and Secular Humanists (MASH)
24. Malaysian
Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism & (MCCBCHST)
马来西亚五大宗教理事会
25. Malaysian
Indians Progressive Association (MIPAS)
26. Malaysian
Indians Transformation Action Team (MITRA)
27. Malaysia
Muda
28. Malaysian
Youth Care Association (PRIHATIN)
29. Malaysians
Against Death Penalty and Torture (MADPET)
30. Merdeka
Education Centre 独立教育中心
31. My
Petaling Jaya (MyPJ)
32. MySkills
Foundation
33. National
Human Rights Society (HAKAM)
34. Negeri
Sembilan Chinese Assembly Hall (NSCAH) 森华堂
35. North
South Initiative (NSI)
36. Oriental
Hearts & Mind Study Institute (OHMSI)
37. Partners
of Community Organisation, Sabah (PACOS Trust)
38. Pergerakan
Tenaga Akademik Malaysia (GERAK)
39. Persatuan
Aliran Kesedaran Negara (Aliran)
40. Persatuan
Bahasa Cina Universiti Malaya 马来亚大学大华文学会
41. Persatuan
Bekas Siswah Universiti dan Kolej Di China, Msia (LiuHua) 马来西亚留华同学会
42. Persatuan
Kesedaran Komuniti Selangor (EMPOWER)
43. Persatuan
Masyarakat Selangor Dan Wilayah Persekutuan
(PERMAS)
44. Persatuan
Rapat Malaysia (RAPAT)
45. Persatuan
Sahabat Wanita (PSW)
46. Sabah
Women's Action Resource Group (SAWO)
47. Sahabat
Rakyat 人民之友
48. Saya
Anak Bangsa Malaysia (SABM)
49. Selangor
and Kuala Lumpur Hokkien Association Youth Section 雪隆福青
50. Sisters
in Islam
51. Society
for the Promotion of Human Rights, Malaysia (PROHAM)
52. SUARAM
人民之声
53. Suara
Siswa Universiti Malaya (SSUM)
54. Tamil
Foundation Malaysia 淡米尔基金
55. TENAGANITA
56. Teoh
Beng Hock Trust for Democracy赵明福民主基金会
57. Tindak
Malaysia (TM)
58. United
Chinese School Committees Association of Malaysia (Dong Zong) 董总
59. United
Chinese School Alumni Associations of Malaysia (UCSAAM) 校友联总
60. University
of Malaya Association of New Youth (UMANY) 马大新青年
61. Women
Development Organisation Malaysia (WDO)
62. Youth
Era
Two students arrested over Maszlee sit-in protest at Education Ministry
Nation
Saturday, 8 Sep 2018
12:06 PM MYT
PUTRAJAYA: Two student activists were arrested early today (Sept 8) over a sit-in protest at the Education Ministry.
They were part of the group protesting the appointment of Education
Minister Dr Maszlee Malik as the president of International Islamic
University Malaysia (IIUM).
According to activist lawyer Fadiah Nadwa Fikri in a Facebook post, the students were arrested for trespassing.
“Two student activists have been arrested for trespassing. Shame on
you Maszlee Malik!” she said in the post, accompanied by photos of the
students being apprehended.
In an earlier post on Friday (Sept 7) night, Fadiah stated that the
group of students had been at the ministry for about 14 hours. She
questioned how long Dr Maszlee would stay silent.
However, in a response, Dr Maszlee said he had been informed of the
duo's arrest. He added that they had been released by the police.
“I am aware of the demonstration at the ministry’s headquarters.
“I am all for students’ freedom of speech, as well as their right to
voice their opinion,” he said in a post on Facebook Saturday morning
(Sept 8).
He said he respected the views of all parties in relation to his appointment as IIUM’s president.
“I instructed my officers to allow the demonstrators to protest at the ministry’s headquarters Blok E8, Parcel E, Putrajaya.
“They were given good treatment, including food, drinks and other
basic necessities,” said Dr Maszlee, adding that the protesters
consisted of students and NGO activists.
National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) chairman Wan
Saiful Wan Jan had also been instructed to meet with the group in the
evening, he added.
“I will try my best to meet them personally as soon as possible, and am scheduling this Wednesday.
“I cannot meet them right away as I am in Sarawak for a working visit,” he added.
Despite his assurance to meet them next week, Dr Maszlee said the
group still insisted on remaining on the steps of the ministry’s
headquarters until he resigned from the IIUM post.
“However, the group vacated the ministry’s compound and gathered at the main entrance of Parcel 5.
“They were advised by ministry officers and the police to disperse,
but they refused. This forced the police to stop the protest at 2am,” he
said.
Dr Maszlee claimed he was told that a majority of the group had agreed to disperse, save the two who were arrested.- Star, 8/9/2018
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