Professorship for Lelong?

Professorship, speedier promotions for lecturers

The Higher Education Ministry would be discussing with the relevant agencies on ways to implement and speed up promotion of lecturers to Professorship, Najib said after launching the Star-ACMS Globalising Higher Education in Malaysia Conference yesterday.

He said such incentives were long overdue and the accelerated promotion of academic staff would help the country’s universities to develop and grow.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Mustapa Mohamed said more young academicians would be made professors under the Government’s superscale salary scheme.

"We are going to have more promotions for bright young lecturers where they can be promoted to become professors at the age of 30."

It is interesting to note that Malaysian Educational System can be so flexible and adaptive. In fact, from this piece of news above, I wonder whether we are or will be named as the world most innovative educational system management... the government can name anyone, whoever he is, and whoever he may be, and whatever competency he has, and whatever he does, so long as, he is a political object of appreciation and in congruence with the system, he can be made the chancellor, V-C, Dean, Rector, Professor, etc... whatever stylishness can be achieved and accorded as a form of reward for "loyalty" and "Conformance".

Days will come, that the initial objectives of awarding the young and brightest lecturers with professorships will be re-aligned to meet political objectives and the shout of uneven playing fields, quota-system, and UMNO-Agenda will rule the law and changes made to suit and fit the situation to remain in power.

There is no pride to be called a Professor in Malaysia for many of them, don't even contribute to research and reputable/elite-journal publication, hardly contribute to literacy and pro bono community services. I do not discount the fact that there are some who were more than qualified to be professors but are currently awarded as Associate-Professors rank for reasons known to the institution only.

I fear that soon, in public universities, the political masters will "lelong" (pawn) the professorships and Chancellors to anyone who could pay or contribute to political funds/patronage, as was done with those Honorifics. Even John Todt of Ferari is made a Datuk because the Trengganu students likes him and are influenced for what he has done for Ferari; nothing for Malaysia, perhaps the only thing he had done for Malaysia is to conquer and possess a Malaysian girlfriend, Michelle Yeoh...

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