Zahid Report

© Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia, 2006

All rights reserved. No part of this Report may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system or transmitted in
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written permission from the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia, Block E3, Parcel E, Federal Government
Administrative Centre, 62505 Putrajaya.

Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

Report: the committee to study, review and make recommendations
concerning the development and direction of higher education in
Malaysia, Ministry of Higher Education in Malaysia : towards excellence
Bibliography : p. 279
ISBN 983-3643-61-2
1.Education, Higher--Malaysia. 2.Universities and colleges--
Malaysia.
378.595

Cover Design : Billion Printing Sdn. Bhd.
Typesetting : Siti Nurshahidah Sah Allam
Mohd Fadhel Mohd Drus
Typeface : Times New Roman
Type Size : 12/15

Printed by : Univision Press Sdn. Bhd. (Email: univisionpress@gmail.com)

This is a translation of the original text entitled: Laporan Jawatankuasa Mengkaji, Menyemak dan Membuat
Perakuan Tentang Perkembangan dan Hala Tuju Pendidikan Tinggi Malaysia: Langkah-langkah Ke Arah
Kecemerlangan.

iv Report by the Committee to Study, Review and Make Recommendations Concerning
the Development and Direction of Higher Education in Malaysia

CONTENTS

Page
Diagrams vii
Charts ix
Tables xi
Addenda xiii
Message from the Honourable Minister xv
Preface xvii
Acknowledgements xxi
Executive Summary xxiii
Recommendations xxxvii

Part I: Introduction
Chapter 1 : Imperatives 3
Chapter 2 : The Study 15

Part II: Background of Higher Education in Malaysia
Chapter 3 : History of the Development of Higher Education 21
Chapter 4 : The National Policies and Vision 2020 27
Chapter 5 : National Education Policy 31
Chapter 6 : National Values 37
Chapter 7 : Laws Governing Higher Education 41

Part III: Empowering Institutions of Higher Education
Chapter 8 : Vision and Mission of Higher Education 47
Chapter 9 : Legislation and Governance 53
Chapter 10 : Funding, Financial Management and Control 65
Chapter 11 : Human Resources 79
Chapter 12 : Quality, Competitiveness and Internationalisation 91
Chapter 13 : Information & Communication Technology 107

Towards Excellence v

Part IV: Excellence in Teaching and Learning
Chapter 14 : Curriculum 123
Chapter 15 : Teaching and Assessment 137

Part V: Excellence in Research and Development
Chapter 16 : Research and Development 149

Part VI: Excellence in Contributing to Malaysian Society
Chapter 17 : National Unity 173
Chapter 18 : Access and Equity 177
Chapter 19 : The Strategic Way Forward 191

Part VII: Conclusion
Chapter 20 : Conclusion 199

Appendices
Appendix I : Committee Members 203
Appendix II : Biodata of Main Committee Members 207
Appendix III : List of Participants in Dialogue Sessions on
National Higher Education 219
Appendix IV : List of Participants in Round Table Discussions
on National Higher Education 243
Appendix V : List of Countries and Institutions Visited
on International Benchmarking and Best Practices Study 253
Appendix VI : Statistics of Malaysia’s Population, Public
and Private Institutions of Higher Education 257
Appendix VII : List of Institutions of Higher Education in Malaysia 259
Appendix VIII : Ranking of the Top 500 Universities in the World 2004 263
Appendix IX : Top 200 Universities in the World 2004 275

Bibliography 279
Glossary of Abbreviations and Acronyms 285

vi Report by the Committee to Study, Review and Make Recommendations Concerning

DIAGRAMS

Page

Diagram 9.1 : Relationship of Public IHE with Various Government Agencies 61
Diagram 9.2 : Supervision Scheme in the Governance of Private IHE 62
Diagram 13.1 : eHigher Education (eHiED) Simplified Business Architecture 119

Towards Excellence vii

CHARTS

Page

Chart 10.1 : Composition of Workforce with Certificate, Diploma and
Degree for Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea and Australia 70
Chart 10.2 : Private IHE Graduates by Levels of Certification, 2004 74
Chart 16.1 : Research Intensity in Selected Countries (Percentage) 150
Chart 16.2 : FTE of Researchers per 1000 Labour Force in Selected
Countries 151

Towards Excellence ix

TABLES

Page

Table 3.1 : Number of Non-University Level Private IHE, 2004 24
Table 10.1 : Number of Public IHE Graduates by Level of Certification 66
Table 10.2 : Expenditure on Higher Education by Member Countries and
Partner Countries of OECD, 2001 and Malaysia, 2004 66
Table 10.3 : List of Registered Professionals for 1988 and 2004 67
Table 10.4 : HDI and Education Index of Selected Developed Countries
and Malaysia for 2002 68
Table 10.5 : Percentage of Malaysian Workforce Pursuing Degrees,
Diplomas and Certificates for 1980 and 2003 69
Table 10.6 : The Number of Private and Public Universities in Japan 2003 73
Table 14.1 : Malaysia’s Palm Oil Industry, 2004 128
Table 14.2 : Malaysia’s Maritime Assets 130
Table 16.1 : Breakdown of Researchers According to Qualification
(Percentage) 151
Table 16.2 : Grants, Funds and Schemes for Research Promotion 152
Table 16.3 : Sources of Funding for R&D in IHE 154
Table 16.4 : Breakdown of Researchers in IHE 154
Table 18.1 : Enrolment and Participation Rate by Cohort in Public IHE 180

Towards Excellence xi

ADDENDA

Page

Addendum 1.1 : Mission and Functions of Higher Education 9
Addendum 8.1 : Proposed Vision of National Higher Education 50
Addendum 8.2 : Proposed Mission of National Higher Education 51
Addendum 9.1 : The Power of the Board of Directors According to the
Views of Legal Consultants 59
Addendum 10.1 : Comparison of Percentage of Students in
Higher Education between South Korea and Malaysia 71
Addendum 11.1 : Proposed Higher Education Service Scheme and
Academic Staff Career Pathway 88
Addendum 12.1 : A Study on the Status of Malaysian Public IHE Graduates 100
Addendum 16.1 : Basis for Research in Malaysia’s Human Resources
Development 149
Addendum 16.2 : Aspirations for R&D in the Vision Development Policy 153
Addendum 16.3 : The Korean Advanced Institute of Technology, South
Korea 160
Addendum 16.4 : The Australian National University, Australia 161

Towards Excellence xiii

KEMENTERIAN PENGAJIAN TINGGI MALAYSIA
BLOK E3, PARCEL E
PUSAT PENTADBIRAN KERAJAAN PERSEKUTUAN
62505 PUTRAJAYA
Tel : 03-88835000
Faks : 03-88891327
Web : http://www.mohe.gov.my

MESSAGE FROM THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION

The Government of Malaysia is firm in its resolution to ensure the re-emergence and continuance
of excellence in higher education in the country, so that institutions of higher learning are capable of
producing cohorts of quality human capital, who are fully competent to make outstanding
contributions to the development of the nation.

In order to succeed in this endeavour, there is need for a sea change in the way we currently
manage the higher education enterprise. We require, in the words of the Right Honourable Prime
Minister, an “education revolution”. This revolution commenced when the Ministry of Higher
Education was created and I have the honour and privilege of being the first Minister of this new
Ministry.

The Committee to Study, Review and Make Recommendations Concerning the
Development and Direction of Higher Education in Malaysia was appointed by me so that,
acting on the recommendations, the momentum of change can be maintained and even accelerated
such that there can be no turning back or half-measures put in place in our push for excellence.

Since expediency was of the essence, the Committee, made up of selected distinguished Malaysians
under the capable chairmanship of Tan Sri Dato’ Dr. Wan Mohd Zahid Mohd Noordin, was given
a six-month deadline to complete the project.

I wish to express my deepest appreciation and heartfelt gratitude to the Committee for meeting not
only the deadline but also for producing a comprehensive Report. The recommendations capture
precisely what we need to do in our quest for excellence. My Ministry will now conduct an in-
depth study of this Report and explore avenues to pragmatically implement as many of the
recommendations as possible, especially those which have been identified as requiring immediate
action.

It is my hope that the Committee members would be able to make further contributions to this
noble cause. Their experience and wisdom would be invaluable as the Ministry undertakes the
necessary but daunting task of bringing to fruition the thorough and painstaking work that has been
put in producing this Report.

DATO’ DR. HAJI SHAFIE BIN HAJI MOHD SALLEH
Minister of Higher Education Malaysia 18 July 2005

Towards Excellence xv

PREFACE

T he Committee to Study, Review and Make Recommendations Concerning the
Development and Direction of Higher Education in Malaysia was appointed by the
Minister of Higher Education, the Honourable Dato’ Dr. Haji Shafie bin Haji Mohd Salleh, on
17 January 2005. This Committee was given the mandate to study the status of higher
education in Malaysia taking into account contemporary regional and international developments
in tertiary education. In addition, the Committee was instructed to prepare a report with
recommendations for the Ministry of Higher Education based on Terms of Reference stipulated
by the Honourable Minister. A six-month deadline was set for the completion of this
undertaking. On 18 July 2005, by the grace of God, the Committee completed its work and
submitted this Report to the Honourable Minister of Higher Education.

The scope of this study covers the core functions of higher education: teaching and learning,
research and development, service to the community, life-long learning, issues related to the
democratisation of education such as access and equity, and the commitment of these institutions,
by benchmarking with international best practices to unremitting efforts to upgrade the quality
of the education that they provide. The Committee has tried its level best, given the extensive
scope that this study encompasses, to avoid deviating from its mandate: the formulation of
recommendations, based on in-depth analysis of the current situation, which are targeted to
achieve the aspiration to make Malaysia an internationally acknowledged centre of excellence
for higher education.

In this connection, the Committee has carried out benchmarking studies to identify international
best practices through visits to prestigious higher education institutions throughout the world,
covering North America, Europe and Asia.

This Report has adopted, as frames of reference for higher education, the perspectives of the
National Philosophy of Education, the National Vision, and policies that have the goal of

Towards Excellence xvii

developing human capital that is resilient, competitive, cultured and intellectually rigorous.
These qualities will enable them to face the challenges of globalisation and contribute towards
the attainment of national unity and the socio-economic development of the country.

Based on the above-mentioned core functions and perspectives of this study, the theme of
this Report is: Towards Excellence. There are seven parts in the Report and each part
highlights sub-themes, all of which endorse the main theme. Each part is also divided into
chapters, each of which deals with a specific sub-theme followed by recommendations
pertaining to that particular sub-theme.

Parts I and II deal with imperatives, historical development, vision, policies, values and laws
pertaining to higher education. Part III, entitled: Empowering Institutions of Higher
Education presents an analysis of the current situation of higher education in the country as
well as recommendations to empower these institutions to carry out their core functions
efficiently and deal with the challenges of competing effectively in the global arena. Part IV,
entitled: Excellence in Teaching and Learning, focuses on the most basic yet foremost
precondition for any educational institution to attain excellence and international pre-eminence.
In Part V, the focus of study is on Excellence in Research and Development with
accompanying recommendations. R&D is the second most vital component in higher education,
a variable that qualitatively differentiates one institution of higher education from another.

Directly or indirectly, IHE and society are inextricably linked, not least because of the
considerable financial contribution made by the latter. Part VI therefore is entitled, Excellence
in Contributing to the Malaysian Society. This part elaborates on this sub-theme and
suggests action to raise the quality of the contribution that higher education can make to the
local as well as to the international community. Finally, in Part VII, the committee identifies
certain limitations and constraints to this study as well as several factors that inhibit the successful
inplementation of the recommendations that have been put forward.

By and large, the Committee has avoided making recommendations which have prohibitive
financial implications for the Government.

The excellence that is loudly and persistently demanded by everyone concerned with the state
of higher education requires a strong sense of purpose together with concentrated and
sustainable effort in the implementation of appropriate courses of action.

In this connection, the Committee wishes to echo the sentiments expressed by a representative
of the community who attended one of the Committee’s consultative sessions: “… we have at
our disposal every facility to enable us to achieve eminence. In fact, we have in the past
achieved this excellence in quality but with the passage of time this has eroded somewhat.
The question before us now is: have we the resoluteness to regain our former pre-eminence?”

xviii Report by the Committee to Study, Review and Make Recommendations Concerning

TAN SRI DATO’ DR. WAN MOHD ZAHID BIN MOHD NOORDIN
Chairman

Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Prof. Emeritus Dato’ Prof. Dato’
Dr. Haji Zainul Ariff Haji Hussain Dr. Khoo Kay Kim Dr. T. Marimuthu
Chairman Professor, History Department Vice President
Bank Pembangunan Malaysia Berhad University of Malaya International Graduate Studies College

Prof. Dato’ Dr. Hassan Said Prof. Dato’ Dzulkifli Abdul Razak Datuk Dr. Sulaiman Mahbob
Director General Vice Chancellor President
Department of IHE Management, Universiti Sains Malaysia Institute of Integrity Malaysia
Ministry of Higher Education

Datuk Dr. Abdul Monir Yaacob Prof. Dato’ Prof. Dato’ Mohd. Shukri Ab. Yajid,
Commissioner of SUHAKAM Dr. Ibrahim Ahmad Bajunid President
(Former Director General, Institute of Dean University College of Technology
Islamic Understanding Malaysia) Faculty of and Management Malaysia
Humanities and Social Sciences
Universiti Tun Abdul Razak

Prof. Datuk Mustafa Mansur
Dr. Shaik Md. Noor Alam Shaik Mohd Hussain President
Professor Federation of Malaysian
Faculty of Economics and Management Manufacturers
Universiti Putra Malaysia

18 July 2005

Towards Excellence xix

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

T he Committee wishes to express its profound appreciation and gratitude to the highest
echelon of leadership in the country, the Right Honourable Prime Minister, Dato’ Seri Abdullah
bin Haji Ahmad Badawi, and the Right Honourable Deputy Prime Minister, Dato’ Sri Mohd.
Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak, for giving us the benefit of their time and ideas. We are beholden
to the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, the Honourable Dato’ Mustapa Mohamed,
for his generous input to the Committee. We also wish to record our sincere thanks to former
Prime Minister, His Excellency Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, former Deputy Prime Minister,
His Excellency Tan Sri Musa Hitam, and former Chief Secretary, Tan Sri Dato’ Seri (Dr.)
Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid, for their insights and advice.

The Committee also takes this opportunity to record its appreciation and indebtedness to
various institutions and renowned universities in the many countries visited as well as the
numerous agencies and individuals in these countries who generously shared information and
ideas which resulted in the Committee being able to collate its findings and formulate constructive
recommendations.

The Committee would be remiss in its responsibility if special mention is not made to the
invaluable contributions by specific groups and institutions. The members of the Working
Committee especially deserve particular citation for its unswerving dedication to the task at
hand, working to the very end, well beyond the call of duty, to expeditiously complete this
Report.

We also wish to express our appreciation and thanks to the members of the Secretariat from
the Ministry of Higher Education as well as to the Institute of Integrity Malaysia. A special
‘thank you’ is extended to Universiti Teknologi MARA for its benevolence in printing the
Report and providing secretarial services. We thank also the academic staff and administrators
of the institutions of higher learning in the country, government officers, various professionals,
society leaders and non-governmental organisations, student unions, women’s organisations,
and all those who contributed their suggestions and opinions through the Committee’s website.

Finally, the Committee wishes to record our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to the Minister
of Higher Education, the Honourable Dato’ Dr. Haji Shafie bin Haji Mohd. Salleh, who
entrusted us with this important and momentous assignment.

Towards Excellence xxi

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 The theme of this Report is: Towards Excellence. The Committee decided on
this theme after exhaustive and in-depth deliberations of a number of substantive
and valid contentions.

1.2 Firstly, the Terms of Reference of this study focus on the achievement of
excellence. The Committee was charged to formulate recommendations that would
enable higher education in Malaysia to achieve world class status and establish the
country as a regional centre of excellence in education.1

1.3 Secondly, the country’s leaders have consistently and resolutely reiterated the call
for higher education in the country to attain world class and become a regional
centre of excellence.

1.4 Thirdly, the Prime Minister himself is convinced that, “…we will need nothing less
than an ‘education revolution’ to ensure that our aspirations to instil a new performance
culture in the public and private sectors is not crippled by our inability to nurture a
new kind of human capital that is equal to the tasks and challenges ahead.”2

1
Refer Chapter 2, para 2.1
2
Extract from the speech of the Prime Minister Malaysia at The NEAC Dialogue Forum on 13 January 2004, IOI
Marriott Hotel Putrajaya

Towards Excellence xxiii

Executive Summary

1.5 Fourthly, feedback obtained by the Committee through dialogue and discussion
sessions as well as website commentaries overwhelmingly call for positive action
towards excellence in higher education.

1.6 There is no question therefore, that serious attention should be paid to the concerted
voices emanating from all walks of life to garner our resources to achieve excellence.
In other words, the citizens of this country have clearly articulated the desire for
higher education in Malaysia to be reliably depicted as excellent, pre-eminent, and
world class. Their views on this matter are a strong indication of their profound
dissatisfaction vis-á-vis the current state of education in this country, particularly
higher education.

1.7 This matter was raised in every meeting the Committee convened with various interest
groups, that is, the urgency and boldness with which much needed change should
be executed so that we can regain the glory and excellence we attained in the past.
In this context, the Right Honourable Prime Minister himself has added his voice to
the chorus of demands by calling for an education revolution to ensure that Malaysians
are equal to the tasks and challenges ahead of us.

1.8 There is therefore no question but that change is an absolute necessity requiring
concentrated effort and the courage to implement bold measures. Some quarters,
however, have expressed grave reservations concerning the work undertaken by
this Committee because they have experienced half-hearted attempts to bring about
change with only partial implementation of such change-driven projects. For instance,
in a round-table discussion, organised by the Committee, concerning the direction
of higher education in this country, one of the participants had this to say, “…If a
decision has been made, we must have the political will to carry it out. We must
change what needs to be changed. What we do not want to see is the fragmentary
and piecemeal implementation of projects based on superficial and incomplete studies.
I hope this Committee would be able to make bold and unambiguous decisions. Let
this be the very last Committee to study higher education for the next ten years. We
have been talking about this matter for at least 30 years.”

1.9 The Committee has every confidence that this call for excellence is not mere rhetorics
but reflects our authentic and sincere aspiration for institutions of higher education
(IHE) in this country to quickly achieve world class status and become a regional
centre of excellence. The Committee unreservedly recognises the seriousness of
public expectations that IHE become highly reputable institutions. The Committee is
also persuaded that there is tremendous public support for this enterprise which
would be displayed through their taking some responsibility in the journey towards
excellence and prestige.

xxiv Report by the Committee to Study, Review and Make Recommendations Concerning

Executive Summary

1.10 The Committee wishes to emphasise that the analysis and recommendations put
forth in this Report were informed and guided principally by such unequivocal
expressions of intent and desire by the Malaysian public. It must be stressed that
the call for excellence has consequences for both strategy and policy. The Committee
is cognizant of the existence of affirmative initiatives for restructuring society and
abolishing identification of race with economic activity and residential locations.
However, in order to promote national unity and harmony, affirmative action together
with other policies need to be implemented in the context of a multi-ethnic society.

1.11 In this regard, the Committee acknowledges the conflict of interests that prevails
between two contrasting claims. On the one hand, there is the pressure to meet the
needs of historically disadvantaged groups and, on the other, the imperative for the
country to push forward and become competitive internationally. The most judicious
resolution is to effect progress through a modusoperandi that is balanced yet dynamic.

1.12 It must be stressed that the pursuit of progress must be undertaken tirelessly and in
all seriousness. The implication of this is that the country cannot wait for groups
which are not yet ready before striving for excellence. If the nation ever takes this
course, then this ‘levelling down’ can only result in loss and regressiveness.

1.13 The best formula for this country is, in fact, a ‘levelling up’ strategy which would be
consistent with the balanced and dynamic approach we advocate to achieve progress.
The Committee is of the opinion that this ‘levelling up’ strategy will benefit the
disadvantaged groups and simultaneously provide opportunities for all Malaysians
to be involved in the pursuit of progress and excellence.

1.14 ‘Levelling up’, with its twin goals of achieving excellence and catering for the
disadvantaged, is precisely what this Committee advocates in bringing about the
democratisation of education. This balanced and dynamic strategy will form the
basis of the Committee’s recommendations relating to the curriculum for higher
education.

1.15 The concern to upgrade the market value of graduates has become more pressing
with the increase in the number of unemployed graduates. This has resulted in more
pressure from certain quarters, including intellectuals, to view education purely from
a utilitarian perspective. The consequence, if this outlook prevails, would be negative,
because education should not be limited to the achievement of an overly narrow
and specific objective.

Towards Excellence xxv

Executive Summary

1.16 Education is an enterprise that embodies a whole range of goals and objectives
requiring time and focused effort. The pursuit of excellence, therefore, is a time
consuming and complex endeavour. The Committee has identified two aspects
which are requisites for achieving excellence. They are:3

1.16.1 The social objectives of education
1.16.2 The economic objectives of education

1.17 These social and economic objectives are the main drivers of the noble goals of
education, that is, the development of exemplary human beings who are balanced,
knowledgeable, skilled, responsible and wise.

1.18 It is not appropriate therefore, to view education solely from a utilitarian perspective
because, by neglecting the moral dimension, mankind would be driven only by
passion. Any society dominated by utilitarian and materialistic individuals become
ineffectual because of the avarice and corruption of these individuals. One symptom
of this malaise is graft or the widespread practice of bribery. The Government is
currently stepping up its efforts to stamp out this malignancy, a move that further
strengthens the argument for a balanced and holistic education.

1.19 The Committee therefore fully endorses the National Philosophy of Education (NPE)
with the goal of producing citizens who are balanced in their outlook. The Philosophy
of Education is as shown below:

“Education in Malaysia is an ongoing effort towards further developing the
potential of individuals in a holistic and integrated manner, so as to produce
individuals who are intellectually, spiritually, emotionally and physically
balanced and harmonious, based on a firm belief in and devotion to God.
Such an effort is designed to produce Malaysian citizens who are knowledgeable
and competent, who possess high moral standards, and who are responsible
and capable of achieving a high level of personal wellbeing as well as being
able to contribute to the betterment of the society and the nation at large.4

1.20 The Philosophy of Education does not compromise the aspiration to develop human
capital. It is a balanced philosophy which is responsive to the utilitarian perspective
and advocates the development of skills to raise the market value of human resources
who have gone through the educational process. At the same time, their development
is reinforced by a belief in God and the assimilation of moral values and principles.

3
The Committee recognises that the objective of education is wider and more encompassing than described above.
Nevertheless, it is not the intention of the Committee to discuss all these objectives.
4
Education Act 1996.

xxvi Report by the Committee to Study, Review and Make Recommendations Concerning

Executive Summary

1.21 This Committee takes the stand that the national higher education curriculum should
be balanced such that graduates would be equipped with the skills and competencies
required for their careers and also be true to values and moral principles.

2. SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS

2.1 The above fundamental considerations form the nucleus for this Committee to
understand and approach the question of the direction higher education should take
in this country. The Committee’s stand is that the thrust towards excellence must be
in tandem with the democratisation of educational opportunities for everyone. No
one should be sidelined while at the same time the nation must not deviate from the
challenge of reaching out to achieve excellence and prominence in the international
arena.

2.2 This Committee has put forward 138 recommendations for consideration by the
Government, the Ministry of Higher Education, the various institutions of higher
education in the country and by the society at large. These recommendations have
been grouped under five categories:

2.2.1 Excellence in teaching and learning
2.2.2 Excellence in research and development
2.2.3 Excellence in the capability of institutions of higher education (IHE) to
make contributions to the economy and society
2.2.4 Excellence in the capacity of IHE to fulfil their core functions
2.2.5 Excellence in initiating the democratisation of education by ensuring
access and participation of all Malaysians irrespective of race, colour
or political loyalty

3. EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING AND LEARNING

3.1 Teaching is a core function of higher education. Mastery of the art of teaching is a
pre-condition for effective pedagogy in the transmission of any given subject. It is
generally accepted that exceptional teaching begets excellent institutions and
outstanding lecturers produce outstanding graduates who display their excellence in
meeting any challenge in life.

3.2 The Committee has made recommendations to upgrade the quality of teaching and
learning. The Committee has proposed that training in pedagogy and andragogy be
a requirement for new lecturers taking into account that democratisation has made
higher education accessible to a significantly larger number of students.

Towards Excellence xxvii

Executive Summary

3.3 The democratisation of education means that higher education is no longer elitist but
is open to students from a variety of background and with wide-ranging learning
capabilities.This situation requires the mastery of pedagogical skills on the part of
lecturers to cope with such mixed ability groups. Teaching can no longer be carried
out on a trial and error basis. The Committee therefore recommends that ongoing
efforts be made to upgrade the qualifications and expertise of lecturers not only in
methods of teaching but also in evaluation procedures.The Committee also
recommends that lecturers work closely with professionals outside universities in
the development of relevant curricula and evaluation procedures. Furthermore, it
is recommended that lecturers acquire work experience in the industrial and
commercial sectors.

4. EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

4.1 Research and Development (R&D) is another mainstay in higher education which
qualitatively differentiates a world class institution of higher education from another.
Research stimulates students to discover new knowledge. It challenges, stimulates
and encourages them in the pursuit of knowledge and in understanding humanity.

4.2 The country’s IHE are lagging far behind in research. The post-graduate enrolment
in local IHE is very small compared to that of developed nations. In Japan, for
instance, post-graduates comprise 27.3 per cent of the total enrolment while in
South Korea the figure is 13.1 per cent. Post-graduates in Malaysia only comprise
5.9 per cent of total enrolment in IHE.5 This cries out for urgent and bold measures
to be taken by the Government to rectify the imbalance. As an initial step, the
Committee has proposed that the Government identify five prominent universities in
the country for conversion into research and post-graduate institutions.

4.3 In this connection, the Committee has proposed that already existing public
universities, which meet criteria stipulated by the Ministry of Higher Education, be
converted into research, post-graduate and post-doctoral universities.

5
The Committee’s analysis is based on data from the Annual Book of Statistics Malaysia 2004 and MoHE.
http:/www.mohe.gov.my (30 August 2005)

xxviii Report by the Committee to Study, Review and Make Recommendations Concerning

Executive Summary

4.4 In line with this move, the Committee has also recommended the formation of a
Malaysian Research Board composed of representatives of IHE, research
institutions, commercial and industrial institutions and government economic agencies.
This Board would work in cooperation with the National Research and Development
of Science Council to develop and strengthen research activities as landmark
innovations in science, technology and the humanities as well as be models of cross-
border and interdisciplinary collaborations between top-flight researchers. The
Malaysian Research Board will play the role of facilitating renowned scientists and
scholars from all over the world to carry out research in Malaysia jointly with their
local counterparts.

4.5 The Committee is of the opinion that the promotion of R&D projects should not be
confined to government initiatives. State governments and other public sector boards
should be actively involved by sponsoring R&D projects in IHE through the creation
of Research Chairs in strategic fields such as Communications, Energy, Agriculture,
Banking, and Management of Development Policies.

4.6 In addition, students who have done research and produced innovative findings
ought to be given encouragement through the awarding of scholarships or one-off
grants. Appropriate remuneration should be accorded to students whose articles
have been accepted by national, regional and international journals of repute. The
same should apply for post-graduate scholars especially those involved in research
which directly contributes to the development of the country and the wellbeing of
the society. The Committee also supports the Government’s initiatives in sponsoring
students to study overseas and recommends that post-graduate and post-doctoral
sponsorships be increased.

4.7 However, the Committee emphatically asserts that only post-graduate students be
sent overseas and only to world renowned institutions. This means that the time
has come to discontinue the practice of sending large numbers of students overseas
for their first degree. Perhaps selected students can still be allowed to pursue their
first degree overseas with the proviso that they gain admission to world class
institutions in fields of study that are considered critical to the needs of the nation
and society. We have to accept the fact that, by and large, undergraduates do not
conduct substantive research and generally are not supervised by world renowned
professors.

Towards Excellence xxix

Executive Summary

4.8 To increase collaboration in research between disciplines, the Committee proposes
that research universities be given the responsibility to initiate the setting up and
activating of the following academies:

4.8.1 Academy of Science and Technology6
4.8.2 Academy of Engineering Science
4.8.3 Academy of Social Science
4.8.4 Academy of Humanities

It is recommended that these four academies be integrated to form a National Scholars
Academy Council. This Council can act as the sponsor and platform for intellectual
inquiry as well as bring together various interdisciplinary initiatives in innovation and
research.

4.9 In this connection, the Committee recommends the formation of the Malaysian
International Higher Education Corporation (MIHEC), to promote Malaysian research
efforts internationally by prevailing on foreign researchers to carry out projects in
Malaysia jointly with local researchers. It is also recommended that a Malaysian
Research Data Clearing House be established as a centre for information storage and
reference for local and international researchers.

4.10 The Committee has found that a certain amount of overlapping in research projects
has occurred in IHE. If such duplication of efforts is avoided, Government funds
allocated to these institutions can be more effectively utilised. In other words, each
institution should focus on its core fields and thus steer clear of staff-pinching, and
implement its programmes guided by the economies of scale. Among the emerging
fields that warrant attention are:

4.10.1 Biobased: biotechnology, biomedicine, bioengineering
4.10.2 Micro Technology: nanotechnology, precision engineering
4.10.3 Natural Resources: water, wind, solar energy, oil and gas
4.10.4 Social Science and Humanities: multicultural and intercultural studies
4.10.5 Interdisciplinary Science

4.11 It is proper to note that autonomy and academic freedom are important prerequisites
to galvanise research and development activities.Universities therefore should be given
complete jurisdiction in all decisions that lead to productive and outstanding R&D
outcomes.

6
The Academy of Science Malaysia which has been established, should be developed into the Academy of Science
Technology Malaysia and promote expert collaboration to advance interdisciplinary research.

xxx Report by the Committee to Study, Review and Make Recommendations Concerning

Executive Summary

5. EXCELLENCE IN CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS ECONOMY
AND SOCIETY

5.1 Institutions of higher education are critical agents of national wealth promotion and
wealth creation and the overall wellbeing of society. The relationship between education
and economic development is well documented. Hence, far from distancing itself
from society, IHE must integrate themselves and strive to contribute in every way
possible to increasing the wealth-creating capacity of the nation. The Committee
recommends that IHE should be industry friendly and demonstrate this by forming
strategic alliances and collaborative ventures with industries.

5.2 In this regard, both IHE and industry have made proposals concerning joint ventures.
The IHE have offered the industry various facilities and expertise in research to
carry out R&D initiatives. At the same time, the industrial sectors have garnered
funds and expertise for commercialising R&D products. The IHE too have proposed
the setting up of innovation centres and intellectual property management teams to
forge collaborative initiatives between the two parties. Furthermore, IHE have been
responsible for the development of innovative entrepreneurs who will jointly
commercialise intellectual property and research products.

6. ADVANCING INSTITUTIONAL STRENGTHS

6.1 The Committee has identified a number of critical aspects that must be addressed in
order to position IHE to become world class and centres of educational excellence.
A priority requirement is a clearly articulated vision and mission statement that IHE
can refer to in working out their strategies. The Committee has taken the initiative to
prepare a draft version. (Refer to Addenda 8.1 and 8.2)

6.2 In the effort to strengthen IHE in the country, the Committee is strongly in favour of
the universities being managed as corporate organisations and not be micro-managed
by the MoHE. The Committee stands by its conviction that a corporate management
style is a very important imperative that should be operationalised if the Government
is earnest in promoting the efficiency and effectiveness of the universities. The
Committee recommends that the Board of Directors be fully empowered to administer
the universities, and that the Minister of Higher Education delegates to the Board of
Directors the authority and responsibility to administer the universities, so that all
operational and decision-making prerogatives are transferred from the MoHE to the
universities.

Towards Excellence xxxi

Executive Summary

6.3 However, it must be stated that by delegating power to the Board of Directors, the
Minister does not surrender his control over IHE. Just as in any corporate entity, the
power to hire and fire the Directors of the Board resides solely with the Minister of
Higher Education. It should be pointed out that good corporate governance requires
that the Board consult the main stakeholder, in this case the Minister, in critical matters
that affect the university.

6.4 The Committee believes that the above move would free the Minister from the burden
of micro-managing the universities and enable him to channel his creative energies in
providing leadership in policy matters and, most importantly, provide guidance so that
all IHE can be steered towards achieving the National Vision.

6.5 In this arrangement, the Vice Chancellor, as the chief executive officer of the institution
of higher education would be directly responsible to the Board of Directors. The role
of the Vice Chancellor needs to be reinforced by being given responsibility in the
context of the high culture which is based on intellectual excellence. At the same time,
it is important that the Vice Chancellor is apolitical in order to carry out the responsibility
entrusted to him with full dedication.

7. EXCELLENCE IN PROMOTING THE DEMOCRATISATION
OF EDUCATION: ACCESS AND PARTICIPATION

7.1 The Razak Report clearly enunciates the concept of democratisation of education
with the declaration that free education should be provided for all Malaysians regardless
of race, colour or creed. The preamble of the Education Act 1961 eloquently details
the idea of the democratisation of education in the following manner:

“And whereas it is considered desirable that regard shall be had, so far as it is
compatible with that policy, with the provision of efficient instruction and with
the avoidance of unreasonable public expenditure, to the general principle that
pupils be educated in accordance with the wishes of their parents…”7

7.2 The Committee endorses the above principles of democratisation and recommends
that no student who has the qualifications, and is offered a place in an institution of
higher education at diploma or undergraduate level, should be denied the opportunity
to follow the course of study he has been offered. In this connection it is recommended
that the conditions for entry into IHE accommodate a multi-tiered system to enable
students to gain entry at their convenience.

7
Education Act 1961.

xxxii Report by the Committee to Study, Review and Make Recommendations Concerning

Executive Summary

7.3 This recommendation is in line with the concept of life-long education. The pursuit of
self-improvement should be an ongoing quest and a person’s opportunity to improve
himself should not be hindered by entry conditions which are inflexible and standardised.
The Committee is confident that this recommendation opens wide the doors of
opportunity to all Malaysians who desire to improve themselves.

7.4 This concept of the democratisation of education would be impaired if a student has
gained the necessary qualifications but is denied entry because of limited places. The
Committee therefore recommends that the Government, public boards, and the private
sector cooperate and find the means to provide places to all citizens who wish to
develop their potential through higher education.

8. GOING FORWARD

8.1 The Committee is of the opinion that a number of recommendations cry out for
immediate action, not only because of their systemic and critical importance, but also
because their implementation would not entail complex and time consuming logistical
orchestration. These have been categorised as Priority Recommendations which will
need to be implemented within 12 months of submission of this Report.

8.2 The Priority Recommendations are:

8.2.1 Recommendation 17: The Committee recommends that there be a moratorium
on the awarding of licences for the setting up of private IHE and this be
urgently established so that all existing private IHE can be clearly assessed.

8.2.2 Recommendations 35 & 36: The Committee recommends that a Quality
Control, Audit and Accreditation Agency (QCAAA) be established under an
Act of Parliament. The Committee recommends that the function of the
QCAAA be as follows:

8.2.2.1 Audit the quality of IHE every five years
8.2.2.2 Report the findings of the audit to Parliament
8.2.2.3 Summarise, periodically review and update the accreditation criteria
for institutions

8.2.3 Recommendation 43: The Committee recommends that the University Scholars
Programme be implemented as a mandatory course for all undergraduate and
post-graduate students up to Masters level.

Towards Excellence xxxiii

Executive Summary

8.2.4 Recommendation 67: The Committee recommends that the Government and
the private sector jointly develop and administer a post-graduate institution of
higher education based on the oil palm industry to cover all aspects of the
industry including planting, agronomy, oil production and advanced oil palm
products. This institution could accept students from other countries which
are interested to carry out research in palm oil related fields.

8.2.5 Recommendation 68: The Committee recommends that the Government and
the private sector jointly work to raise the Malaysian Maritime Academy to the
status of a university. It is proper that the Malaysian Maritime Institute be
incorporated in the university.

8.2.6 Recommendation 69: The Committee recommends that curriculum development
in polytechnics and community colleges be done in partnership with
professionals from the industrial and commercial sectors with the professionals
in the polytechnics and community colleges making adjustments in line with
pedagogical principles. This approach may use the methods, Develop-A-
Curriculum (DACUM) and Systematic Curriculum and Instructional
Development (SCID), which were developed by Ohio University, USA.

8.2.7 Recommendation 72: The Committee recommends that Malay, as the National
Language, be used for all official purposes. English should be used as the
medium of instruction for science, mathematics and professional subjects. Other
subjects should be taught in the language that is most effective in the delivery
of content. At the same time, students should be encouraged to master other
international languages.

8.2.8 Recommendation 75: The Committee recommends newly recruited teaching
personnel and lecturers take mandatory training programmes in pedagogy and
andragogy. Even professors should be encouraged to be involved in post-
doctoral studies.

8.2.9 Recommendation 86: The Committee recommends the establishment of
research and post-graduate universities by converting public universities which
meet the criteria set by the Ministry of Higher Education, into research, post-
graduate and post-doctoral universities.

xxxiv Report by the Committee to Study, Review and Make Recommendations Concerning

Executive Summary

8.2.10 Recommendation 95: The Committee recommends the setting up of a
Malaysian Research Board in which IHE, research institutions, commercial
and industrial institutions, and Government economic agencies are represented.
The aim of this body is to cooperate with the National Research and
Advancement of Science Council to develop and strengthen research activity
as the basis for innovation in science, technology, humanities and learning
through collaboration with top-flight researchers across borders. The Malaysian
Research Board will enable quality scientists and scholars throughout the world
to undertake research in Malaysia together with their Malaysian counterparts.

8.2.11 Recommendation 130: The Committee recommends that project MyBrain15
be structured and implemented as an activity for the development of the model
national citizen. MyBrain15 should produce 100,000 Ph.D graduates in the
next 15 years.

9. CONCLUSION

9.1 The Committee has found that higher education in Malaysia has high credibility among
the Malaysian public. It also established that society has high expectations with regard
to the Government’s aspirations to make higher education world class and Malaysia a
centre of excellence in education. Leaders of a variety of establishments, professionals,
stakeholders, renowned personalities, community leaders and academicians were
consulted by the Committee. All these groups expressed their commitment, together
with the Government, to respond and support the call to effect changes aimed at
excellence in higher education in the country.

9.2 Provided that these expressions of determination and noble intentions, combined with
the resources and capabilities that are extant, are fully channelled to bring to fruition
the recommendations in this Report, the Committee is confident that within the next
10 years the IHE in this country can proudly take their place with the best in the
world.

Towards Excellence xxxv

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. The Committee proposes that the National Philosophy of Education should be the
basis of the Philosophy of Higher Education.

2. The Committee proposes that the Vision and Mission of higher education in this country
be drafted based on statements shown in Addendum 8.1 and Addendum 8.2.

3. The Committee recommends that the laws governing higher education be reviewed
and suitable changes be made to formulate an integrated Act which will cover educational
institutions, including polytechnics, community colleges and all agencies related to higher
education, parallel with the establishment of the Ministry of Higher Education which is
responsible for the supervision and governance of the national higher education and
for specific recommendations in this Report to be legislated for the purpose of
implementation.

4. The Committee recommends that student discipline at polytechnics and community
colleges be supervised through the same method which is used for university and
university college students. The Education Institution Act (Discipline) 1976, First
Schedule needs to be amended accordingly.

5. The Committee recommends that the University Constitution be amended so that
professors can elect twenty members from among themselves to represent the
University Senate.

6. The Committee recommends that the Minister of Higher Education delegate his power
to the Board of Directors so that the latter can play its role as the guardian of
autonomy, academic excellence and accountability.

7. The Committee recommends that all policies and the governance of universities be
the responsibility of the Board of Directors.

Towards Excellence xxxvii

Recommendations

8. The Committee recommends that the powers of the Board of Directors be widened
to enable it to play its role as the guardian of autonomy.

9. The Committee recommends that together with the Vice Chancellor, two others be
appointed as members of the Board of Directors, one to represent the academic staff
society and the other to represent the Senate.

10. The Committee recommends that the Government should view higher education as a
strategic investment in the development of human capital and continue to finance it.

11. The Committee recommends that education funding, especially the funding of higher
education should be increased to strengthen and spur the growth of higher education
so as to boost the quantity and quality of human capital so that it is at par with that of
developed countries.

12. The Committee recommends that higher education financing should be focused on the
core functions of IHE, namely:

(a) to increase opportunities for Malaysians to participate in national higher education;
(b) to enhance the quality of teaching and learning;
(c) to upgrade the quality of research and development;
(d) to increase collaboration with the local communities;
(e) to diversify programmes and activities;
(f) to increase national competitiveness at the global level;
(g) to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of IHE governance.

13. The Committee recommends that a State Government Chair be established in IHE to
carry out research and development which will contribute towards enhancing the
capabilities of state and local governments and the effective implementation of socio-
economic and socio-cultural development programmes in the respective states.

14. The Committee recommends that polytechnics and community colleges which have
been established in the states be utilised to implement life-long learning and continuous
education to train the workforce in various fields of specialisation.

15. The Committee recommends that public bodies which have links with the Government
(i.e.GLC) such as Petronas, Telekom Malaysia, Malaysian International Shipping
Corporation (MISC), Tenaga Nasional and Maybank, be encouraged to set up state-
of-the-art IHE if they have not already done so. These IHE are also encouraged to
admit foreign students into their technical and commercial programmes.

16. The Committee recommends that GLC should create Research Chairs in national
universities and take the lead in research and the teaching of sectors which are of
national importance such as energy, maritime, communication, banking, agriculture
and plantation.

xxxviii Report by the Committee to Study, Review and Make Recommendations Concerning

Recommendations

17. The Committee recommends with immediate effect a moratorium on the awarding of
new licences for the establishment of private IHE until a thorough evaluation of all
existing private IHE has been carried out.

18. The Committee recommends that private IHE be continually innovative and responsive
towards k-economy, produce skilled human resources relevant to global markets,
create links with the international community, generate new knowledge and diversify
the curricula.

19. The Committee recommends that private IHE be recognised as a sector that generates
economic growth while playing a role in increasing access and equity. Therefore, a
comprehensive incentive scheme should be established to enhance the effectiveness
of private IHE, as has been done for other sectors.

20. The Committee recommends that the burden of responsibility of higher education
financing should also be borne by the private sector, including the banking sector, so
that within a reasonable period of time, the financial strain on the Government can be
reduced. This should include loans at a reasonable interest rate to public IHE as well
as to students.

21. The Committee recommends that an obligatory condition for the recruitment of leaders
at all levels in IHE is outstanding achievement, which is reviewed and evaluated annually
based on Key Performance Indicators (KPI).

22. The Committee recommends that a Higher Education Service Scheme be created for
academic staff of IHE. Terms of service, promotion prospects and work ethics for
academic staff are as shown in Addendum 11.1.

23. The Committee recommends that in the evaluation of academic staff for promotion
purposes, proper emphasis be given to the development of globally recognised corpora
of indigenous knowledge and local expertise.

24. The Committee recommends that the appointment of Vice Chancellors for post-graduate
and undergraduate universities be carried out through advertising openly in order to
obtain the best candidates. Vice Chancellors should be appointed on two-year terms
and be given competitive salaries, with the proviso that their services can be renewed,
extended or terminated at any time.

25. The Committee recommends the creation of Key Performance Indicators as the
instrument to gauge the performance of Vice Chancellors. This evaluation procedure
should be included in their service contract.

26. The Committee recommends that open, precise and stringent conditions be applied in
the selection of professors who would be offered competitive salaries and grades.

Towards Excellence xxxix

Recommendations

27. The Committee recommends that high calibre professors be given special gratuities
based on academic excellence and that they should not hold executive positions.

28. The Committee recommends that researchers be permitted to have joint ownership of
research findings and be entitled to part of the royalties accrued through the
commercialisation of patented products.

29. The Committee recommends that at least 15 articles published in international refereed
journals be mandatory for the appointment to the position of Professor. This condition
for appointment, whether for promotion purposes or otherwise, should apply to all
public and private universities.

30. The Committee recommends that human resource development funds used for
recruitment of staff for public IHE be handled by the institutions concerned. The
principles applied for staff recruitment which should be open to all are: academic
excellence, appropriate speciality, experience and positive disposition for scholarship.

31. The Committee recommends that universities introduce a special Industrial Lecturer
Programme to enable those in the industry to deliver lectures. Universities should
award credit points to these industrial lecturers to encourage their involvement in the
university and assist in the efforts to promote life-long learning.

32. The Committee recommends that the post of Reader, with specific functions, as well
as other senior posts, be created to increase promotion opportunities for academic
staff.

33. The Committee recommends that universities take full advantage of the posts of Writer/
Researcher, Guest Lecturer and Fellow to create knowledge and experience as well
as enable them to share their expertise.

34. The Committee recommends that recipients of the title Professor Emeritus be given
proper facilities to enable them to continue contributing their expertise including acting
as mentors to younger staff members.

35. The Committee recommends that a Quality Control, Audit and Accreditation Agency
(QCAAA) be established under an Act of Parliament.

36. The Committee recommends that the function of the QCAAA be as follows:

(a) Audit the quality of IHE every five years;
(b) Report the findings of the audit to Parliament;
(c) Summarise, periodically review and update the accreditation criteria for IHE.

xl Report by the Committee to Study, Review and Make Recommendations Concerning

Recommendations

37. The Committee recommends that the Board of Directors of the QCAAA comprise
seven members as follows:

(a) five members who are respected, have high integrity, possess in-depth knowledge
of higher education and are willing to be devoted and committed to the
development of scholarship and higher education as a whole;*
(b) Two world renowned foreign scholars;*
(c) The Chief Executive of the QCAAA to act as ex-officio.

*The MoHE to set up a selection committee for this purpose

38. The Committee recommends that a Secretariat be set up by the MoHE for the QCAAA
which is to be headed by the Chief Executive who possesses a Ph.D and will hold the
position of Premier Grade ‘A’.

39. The Committee recommends that every institution of higher education create and develop
a Quality Indicator Instrument (IPK) to measure its own attainment of excellence.

40. The Committee recommends that the MoHE develop an IPK to gather data to assess
the progress of higher education.

41. The Committee recommends that the MoHE encourage and support an academic
ranking and rating system which is flexible, coherent and reliable in keeping with
international criteria for excellence.

42. The Committee recommends that Higher Education Statistics Bureau be set up with
the aim of collecting and analysing a comprehensive set of data regarding higher
education and to initiate the setting up of various databases for strategic use by the
Government and IHE.

43. The Committee recommends that the University Scholars Programme be implemented
as a mandatory course for all undergraduate and post-graduate students.

44. The Committee recommends that IHE take the necessary action to benefit from the
evaluation of international ranking and rating bodies to strengthen further their
competitiveness in the country and also strengthen their ability to become global leaders
in their niche areas.

Towards Excellence xli

Recommendations

45. The Committee recommends that a mechanism be put in place:

(a) To build inter-institutional partnership for research and partnership projects among
institutions;
(b) To increase networking in the areas of business, commerce and industry which
are directed towards establishing research collaboration;
(c) To build and strengthen relationships with various regional and international
institutions;
(d) To ensure that all IHE in the country benefit from the different professional bodies
and groups in the region and internationally which have the skills and knowledge
in the areas of their specialisation;
(e) To contribute to the regional and international community by pooling the expertise
of IHE so that the country can be recognised and respected by the global
community;
(f) To systematically implement strategies in the regional and international arena so
as to enable national IHE to establish strategic alliances easily and effectively and
contribute to the development of the local community.

46. The Committee recommends that initiatives to promote our IHE internationally be
stepped up by preparing comprehensive short and long term action plans.

47. The Committee recommends that national professional bodies endeavour to be in accord
with standard professional practices of international bodies so that the professional
qualifications of Malaysian IHE are recognised worldwide.

48. The Committee recommends that there be incentives to encourage IHE to implement
activities for promoting and marketing their programmes to other countries.

49. The Committee recommends that a special fund sourced from various sectors be set
up for international student and staff exchange activities.

50. The Committee recommends that every institution of higher education ensure that
total student enrolment is made up of at least 10 to 15 per cent of high achieving
foreign students.

51. The Committee recommends that a policy be formulated for an integrated eHigher
Education (eHiED) environment to ensure the achievement of improved ICT capabilities
and enhanced information management.

52. The Committee recommends that a centralised Higher Education ICT Council be formed
to champion the overall strategy and implementation of eHiED environment. This
Council shall be spearheaded by the Ministry of Higher Education and is to be the
highest ICT strategic body for the nation’s higher education.

xlii Report by the Committee to Study, Review and Make Recommendations Concerning

Recommendations

53. The Committee recommends that applications for Open Source Solution (OSS) be
adopted in the management and development efforts in MoHE, public universities,
polytechnics and community colleges to realise the potential economic and practical
benefits of open source models.

54. The Committee recommends that secure networks be further developed using Gigabyte
Ethernet and wireless technology for MoHE, public universities, polytechnics and
community colleges in order to improve connectivity among students, faculty and
administrators within eHiED.

55. The Committee recommends that ICT Shared Service Centres be implemented for all
public universities, polytechnics and community colleges. For example, it is proposed
that MoHE implement single Shared Service Centre (SSC) for the northern region of
Peninsular Malaysia to serve USM, UUM, polytechnics and community colleges.

56. The Committee recommends that all public universities, polytechnics and community
colleges within eHiED environment implement Data Recovery Centres by leveraging
on the services from eHiED ICT Shared Service Centres.

57. The Committee recommends that e-learning content development by experts be
significantly increased. Incentive-based rewards be drawn up and implemented to
promote interests in e-learning content development for public universities, polytechnics
and community colleges.

58. The Committee recommends that the National Library be the central digital repository
for e-journals, e-periodicals, e-books, etc. for use by all stakeholders in private and
public universities, private colleges, polytechnics and community colleges.

59. The Committee recommends that an integrated Knowledge Management (KM)
capability be developed for all public universities, polytechnics and community colleges
paving the way for these institutions to implement efficient cross-institution sharing of
knowledge and collaboration.

60. The Committee recommends that the Ministry of Higher Education be given access to
analyse and consolidate real time data from public universities, polytechnics and
community colleges through the employment of integrated Executive Information System
(EIS), Data Warehouse (DW) and Enterprise Integration (EI).

61. The Committee recommends that each institution in eHiED employ an integrated
Campus Management System (CMS) to manage student affairs, curricula, library,
financials, assets, facilities and human resources.

62. The Committee recommends that IHE adopt a standardised smart card system. In
order to facilitate this, the MoHE should establish a central Smart Card Centre (SCC)
to manage end-to-end process of personalisation and production of the smart cards
for IHE.

Towards Excellence xliii

Recommendations

63. The Committee recommends that the higher education curriculum in the country be
drafted and implemented in order to:

(a) Develop human resources who can think critically, are able to present their ideas
to society and translate and manage these ideas innovatively to benefit themselves
as well as society;
(b) Develop human resources who are able to comprehend issues in the context of
societal realities;
(c) Develop human resources who are literate not only in reading, writing and
mathematics but also in IT. They should acquire the skills of organising,
synthesising, analysing and using knowledge to solve newly emerging problems in
society;
(d) Develop human resources who are creative, innovative, risk takers, willing
individuals and team players, and who have the zest for entrepreneurial
commitment;
(e) Develop professionals with managerial skills;
(f) Develop professionals who are life-long learners.

64. The Committee recommends that IHE continually review and update the curriculum
and incorporate current developments.

65. The Committee recommends that representatives from the corporate and industrial
sectors be involved in the curriculum development process especially for the
professional and science-based disciplines. They should also be involved in teaching
and research.

66. The Committee recommends that internships be made mandatory for a
minimum period of six months for undergraduates in science and technology, students
in pre-diploma, vocational and technical courses, and other disciplines that require
practicum.

67. The Committee recommends that the Government and private sector jointly develop
and administer a post-graduate institution of higher education based on the palm oil
industry to cover all aspects of the industry including planting, agronomy, oil production
and advanced palm oil products. This institution could function as a centre of excellence
and could accept students from other countries who are interested to carry out
research in palm oil-related fields.

68. The Committee recommends that the Government and private sector jointly work to
raise the Malaysian Maritime Academy to the status of a university. It is proper that
the Malaysian Maritime Institute be incorporated as part of the university.

xliv Report by the Committee to Study, Review and Make Recommendations Concerning

Recommendations

69. The Committee recommends that curriculum development in polytechnics and
community colleges be carried out in partnership with professionals from the industrial
and commercial sectors, with the professionals in the polytechnics and community
colleges making adjustments in line with pedagogical principles. This approach may
use the methods, Develop-A-Curriculum (DACUM) and Systematic Curriculum and
Instructional Development (SCID), developed by Ohio University, USA.

70. The Committee recommends that Islam Hadhari be included in Islamic and Asian
Civilisation Course which should be a compulsory subject in the higher education
curriculum.

71. The Committee recommends that the curriculum in higher education include components
on integrity and good character, as well as work and business ethics in corporate
management so that the workforce can understand, act on and internalise noble life
values and practise accountability as part of their work and business culture.

72. The Committee recommends that Malay, as the National Language, be used for all
official purposes. English should be used as the medium of instruction for science,
mathematics and professional subjects. Other subjects should be taught in the language
that is most effective in the delivery of content. At the same time, students should be
encouraged to master other international languages.

73. The Committee recommends that IHE upgrade their capacity to offer the study of
international languages.

74 The Committee recommends that each student should master at least two international
languages in addition to the Malay language.

75. The Committee recommends newly recruited teaching personnel and lecturers take
mandatory training programmes in pedagogy and andragogy. Even professors should
be encouraged to be involved in post-doctoral studies.

76. The Committee recommends that IHE create procedures which encourage new lecturers
to refer to and have ongoing discussions with experienced lecturers and professors in
order to upgrade their professionalism in teaching-learning activities.

77. The Committee recommends that all IHE prepare long-term plans to raise the
professionalism of their staff, create suitable awards and give appropriate salaries.

78. The Committee recommends that a mentor-mentee system be created to provide
opportunities for intellectual and socio-emotional counselling to students in the higher
education system. The residential system in teaching and learning should be fully utilised
for the attainment of authentic, individual, intellectual and scholarly personalities.

Towards Excellence xlv

Recommendations

79. The Committee recommends that a mechanism be devised for channelling funds to
enable higher education lecturers to upgrade their competencies in teaching, research
and service to society as well as sharpen their intellectual skills through cooperative
interaction with their colleagues in the same discipline, both local and overseas.

80. The Committee recommends that without prejudice to the assumptions, approaches,
methods and techniques already in use, higher education lecturers should be encouraged
to explore approaches in teaching-learning that are based on constructivism.

81. The Committee recommends that leaders in IHE be committed in bringing about
innovations in philosophy, policy, teaching-learning practices and assessment as the
pillars in creating excellent and prestigious IHE.

82. The Committee recommends that all staff members of IHE be given ongoing training
to acquire skills in ICT and that they utilise this in teaching-learning, assessment, research
and administration.

83. The Committee recommends that all IHE take steps to ensure that all students master
ICT and other skills relevant to the digital era.

84. The Committee recommends that all IHE give serious attention to academic assessment
and ensure that all lecturers be given ongoing training to master assessment skills.

85. The Committee recommends that the following principles for the funding of higher
education research and research training be adopted:

(a) The Principles of Excellence. The allocation of public funds should focus on
the achievement of world class research and research training to ensure that
Malaysian universities develop and maintain high quality and innovative research
which is respected in a global context;
(b) The Principles of Institutional Autonomy and Responsiveness. Institutions
should have the autonomy to determine how they function and contribute to the
generation, storage, dissemination, transmission, and application of knowledge;
(c) The Principles of Linkages and Collaboration. A policy should be formulated
to encourage and reward the development of an entrepreneurial culture in which
researchers and the various institutions collaborate among themselves and across
the world with other players in the research and innovation system. Universities
should have policies and structures in place to facilitate the commercialisation of
discoveries and encourage the development of technopreneurs;
(d) The Principles of Contestability, Simplicity and Accountability. The process
for allocating funds for research and research training should be competitive in
nature, simple to administer, and be readily intelligible to researchers, institutions,
students and the wider community. All funding allocation decisions should be
free from conflicts of interest.

xlvi Report by the Committee to Study, Review and Make Recommendations Concerning

Recommendations

86. The Committee recommends the establishment of research and post-graduate universities
by converting public universities, which meet the criteria set by the Ministry of Higher
Education, into research, post-graduate and post-doctoral universities.

87. The Committee recommends that each university concentrate on a different R&D focus
and that each field selected be in a cutting edge area, for instance:

(a) Biobased: biotechnology, biomedicine and bioengineering;
(b) Microtechnology: nanotechnology, and precision engineering;
(c) Natural Resources: water, wind, solar energy, oil and gas;
(d) Social Science and Humanities: multicultural and intercultural studies.

88. The Committee recommends that research and post-graduate universities be given
responsibility and the means to implement Project MyBrain15.

89. The Committee recommends that research and post-graduate universities be given the
responsibility to take the lead in founding and activating the following Academies:
Academy of Science and Technology, Academy of Engineering Science, and Academy
of Social Science and Humanities. These Academies should be grouped under the
National Scholars Academy Council which would focus on producing and advancing
knowledge in all fields and bringing together these disciplines through research and the
application of knowledge.

90. The Committee recommends that IHE provide opportunities to enable industries to
implement R&D activities in universities while ensuring that the industries provide the
funds and market expertise to commercialise the products of the joint R&D projects.

91. The Committee recommends that all IHE establish innovation centres, intellectual
property management centres and technology licencing offices to increase links and
cooperation with the industry while at the same time encouraging entrepreneurs to
commercialise innovations from the intellectual property obtained through research.

92. The Committee recommends that universities formalise efforts to involve the industry
to participate in their research activities through collaborative research programmes.

93. The Committee recommends that IHE initiate joint projects with internationally
renowned research and industrial centres so as to enhance their R&D capability,
make possible technology transfer, and provide publicity to their research products in
international markets.

Towards Excellence xlvii

Recommendations

94. The Committee recommends the formation of an International Higher Education Board
to elevate R&D to world standard in the field of Science and Technology thereby
promoting the country’s higher education internationally. This Board will be an
autonomous body and will be made up of representatives of the Government and
IHE. The Board’s mission will be to:

(a) Enable post-graduate and post-doctoral students become scholars in relevant
fields of knowledge and thus raise Malaysia’s competitive capability;
(b) Enable post-graduates from all over the world to become scholars and partners
with Malaysia in priority areas of knowledge;
(c) Enable scholars in Malaysia to play the role of leaders and pioneers in the academic
and research world by strengthening international and intercultural ties;
(d) Promote efforts to internationalise higher education in the country by making IHE
more attractive to post-graduates and researchers from all over the world.

95. The Committee recommends the setting up of a Malaysian Research Board in which
IHE, research institutions, commercial and industrial institutions, and government
economic agencies are represented. The aim of this body is to cooperate with the
National Research and Advancement of Science Council to develop and strengthen
research activity as the basis of innovation in science, technology, humanities and
learning through collaboration with world class international researchers. This Malaysian
Research Board will provide opportunities for renowned scientists and scholars
throughout the world to undertake quality research in Malaysia together with their
Malaysian counterparts.

96. The Committee further recommends that the Malaysian Research Board be given the
responsibility to:

(a) Act as secretariat to coordinate and organise research projects;
(b) Stimulate multidisciplinary research between universities that contributes to the
socio-economic development of the country;
(c) Consolidate financial resources to sponsor autonomous and independent research
work;
(d) Act as consultant managers for research contracts, patent ownership, copyright
licencing, publishing rights, and the commercialisation of intellectual property on
behalf of institutions, industry and researchers.

xlviii Report by the Committee to Study, Review and Make Recommendations Concerning

Recommendations

97. The Committee recommends that the following principles be the fundamental operational
guidelines for the Malaysian Research Board:

(a) Encourage excellent achievement;
(b) Sponsor outstanding personalities in addition to projects;
(c) Be autonomous and independent in management;
(d) Be neutral and not be purely commercial;
(e) Encourage innovation, freedom, truth, tolerance, flexibility and individuality;
(f) Maintain cooperative links on a sustainable basis;
(g) Identify new challenges and formulate innovative problem-solving strategies
especially through cooperative initiatives.

98. The Committee recommends a Malaysian Research Information Base be established
to compile national research data to provide strong support and up-to-date information
in the management of universal and indigenous knowledge in order to be an effective
source of reference for academicians, researchers as well as for the local and
international communities.

99. The Committee recommends that IHE frame an intellectual property policy for
themselves to encourage registration of patents of discoveries and inventions resulting
from R&D and subsequent developments of innovative products.

100. The Committee recommends R&D facilities in eHiED be linked to Malaysian Research
and Education Network (MYREN).

101. The Committee recommends that the efforts to instil national unity be continued and
extended to higher education.

102. The Committee recommends that a course of study which focuses on inter-cultural
and intra-cultural studies be introduced and undertaken by all students, the teaching-
learning of which should be through discussion and participation.

103. The Committee recommends that IHE students participate in compulsory community
work and that these activities be given credit points.

104. The Committee recommends that the Government create greater opportunities including
proper infrastructure throughout the country so that every citizen will be given maximum
opportunity to take advantage of the life-long learning facilities provided.

105. The Committee recommends that community colleges utilise the facilities of the existing
educational infrastructure and its resources.

106. The Committee recommends that both the public and private sectors set up facilities
to create a learning organisation so that their employees are able to upgrade their skills
and be motivated to continue learning.

Towards Excellence xlix

Recommendations

107. The Committee recommends that no eligible student who has been offered a seat at an
institution of higher education at diploma or undergraduate level be denied the opportunity
to learn because of financial difficulties.

108. The Committee recommends that efforts be made to upgrade the quality of private
IHE through collaboration with public IHE so that facilities and expertise in teaching-
learning can be shared.

109. The Committee recommends that to achieve the target set by the Education
Development Plan 2001-2010 especially for higher education, various strategies should
be employed, for example increasing distance-learning and e-learning programmes,
and upgrading the quality of private IHE.

110. The Committee recommends that matriculation programmes be continued and
expanded.

111. The Committee recommends that there be more avenues for entry and access to degree
courses, for example, by increasing the intake of diploma holders and by giving due
recognition to work experience.

112. The Committee recommends that the Government provides adequate financial allocation
to those institutions which accept the democratisation of higher education policy and
which have the mechanism to provide greater opportunities for indigenous students,
rural students, students from low socio-economic backgrounds and students who are
physically, socially and mentally challenged.

113. The Committee recommends that the Government extend financial allocation to IHE
for the purpose of providing the necessary support and infrastructure facilities to
students who are physically, socially and mentally challenged.

114. The Committee recommends that the Government provide opportunities for students
who are physically challenged to obtain a second or post-graduate degree so as to
enable them to have added advantages in the job market.

115. The Committee recommends that students who are physically challenged and who
are knowledgeable and possess the appropriate skills be given opportunities to be
employed at IHE in areas like research and other suitable fields.

116. The Committee recommends that affirmative action in education be maintained.

117. The Committee recommends that the Government take initiatives to strengthen the
less established private IHE.

l Report by the Committee to Study, Review and Make Recommendations Concerning

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