Higher Education Minister, Noraini Ahmad should explain what has been done to upgrade the quality of the more than 2,500 ”kangkong professors” as revealed by Tun Arshad Ayub last year

The Higher Education Minister, Noraini Ahmad should explain what has been done to upgrade the quality of the more than 2,500 “kangkong professors” as revealed by Tun Arshad Ayub last year.

Tun Arshad, 93, is one of few Malaysians conferred a Tun-ship without a political background, being a Chief Justice or holder of high public office, was founding director of Institut Teknologi Mara (ITM) from 1966-1975 before it was elevated to university status as Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM).

It is a matter of great concern that “kangkong professors”, without upgrading their academic qualities, are assuming increasingly more important national roles.

The immediate national challenge is to raise the standard of education at all levels in the country, whether of the students or the teaching staff, but there are people who want to distract attention from this issue by demanding the closure of Chinese and Tamil primary schools falsely claiming that their existence are a source of disunity in plural Malaysia.

This is why I had appealed to GPMS, Mappim and GPMS to withdraw their appeal to the Kuala Lumpur High Court decision on the constitutionality of Chinese and Tamil primary schools, as well as to I-Guru not to appeal the decision on the constitutionality of Chinese and Tamil primary schools made by Kota Bahru High Court on Sunday, but to play a leading role for Malaysia to re-set and to achieve the nation’s capabilities to become a world-class great nation in international competitiveness, good governance, the rule of law, war against corruption and having an efficient and effective government.

The first condition to Malaysia becoming a world-class great nation is to have a world-class education system, including a system for the more than 2,500 “kangkong professors” to become qualified and meritorious professors.

The criticism of a Sarawak state tourism, creative industry and performing arts minister, Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah that civil servants should be encouraged to use “good English” instead of being penalised for it is another example of unhealthy trends in the country.

The Cabinet, at its meeting on Wednesday, should heed the voices of the people of Sarawak and Sabah, G25 and former Minister for International Trade and Industry (Miti), Rafidah Aziz, and countermand the directive of the Chief Secretary to the government, Mohd Zuki Ali to the Public Services Department to consider corrective and punitive measures to enforce the use of Bahasa Malaysia in the civil service and other government-related agencies including GLCs (government-linked companies).

The government should be worrying about the decline of the standard of English among Malaysians, as English is the language of science, Google and globalisation.

The Prime Minister should make a policy announcement as to what the government is doing to raise the command of English among Malaysians so that Malaysia can have a workforce with a high proficiency in English.

Lim Kit Siang MP for Iskandar Puteri