Malaysia’s intellectual crisis due to lack of academic freedom

From Mansur Ali

I refer to the letter by Syerleena Abdul Rasheed referring to an academic’s claim of Romans learning shipbuilding from the Malays and of being able to fly.

While she writes of the symptoms of the larger and sadder truth of Malaysia’s intellectual crisis, I hope she is not suggesting that this is a new phenomenon.

The malaise that has afflicted Malaysia, and sadly, many other Asian countries in the region is similar and has been around for decades.

The fundamental issue she has not addressed is the lack of academic freedom, and when expressed or encouraged to express, academics come up with laughable inferences such as the type that we have seen recently.

Academic freedom is fundamental in independent research being carried out, without fear or favour. This has been lacking for decades at Malaysian and other universities in the region.

When academics have to present their academic findings, they have to ensure that they do not offend politicians in power of whatever political persuasion or flavour.

It is not that Malaysia did not have academics of international standing. Two names come to mind: Syed Hussein Alatas, whose book “Intellectuals in Developing Societies” may be a starting point for many Malaysian academics as well as non-academics, and the late Syed Husin Ali, who paid the price by being imprisoned for a long time (without trial) when he tried both academic work with political activism.

I do not recall Syerleena’s political party raising strong objections to the curtailment of his civil liberties when that happened. I can understand DAP’s aversion to Syed Hussein, because of his debate at the University of Malaya campus (in the late 1960s) with a then aspiring leader of DAP, when he tore the aspiring leader to shreds.

Academics cannot function in an intellectual vacuum, as is happening in Malaysian universities today. Academic in-breeding with mediocrity produces not just mediocrity but sub-standard levels of mediocrity.

That is what is happening at the universities, the civil service, the police and the armed forces, and even in the political sphere, where Syerleena is located.

We saw that recently when her colleague, a minister, from her political party was forced into making an apology, when the politician berated a journalist (and his media) for asking a question which was at best naive and at worst comical.

This brings us to another important point: the appointment of academics. How are academics appointed? This is another minefield we have to negotiate. The end result is many will get blown up in the process of going through this sensitive minefield.

Syerleena is right when she writes about intellectual rigour, integrity, and truth. Have these, however, ever been the benchmarks for appointments, at universities and in other spheres (which I have referred to earlier) in Malaysia?

Honesty and accountability are two rare commodities that have been missing in Malaysia for a long time, I am sure Syerleena may agree with me.

It is one issue to talk about changing the education system from a learning system to a questioning system, when students are expected to regurgitate what they have memorised in the classroom to pass the exams.

It is an exam-oriented system, when people cannot get into courses of their choice in public universities, even after scoring distinctions at the exams (however subjective they may be).

It is more than reform that is required. What is required is a radical shift in the way Malaysians think if we are to build on the diversity and so-called brilliance that we are supposed to have and have been inhibited by the political superstructure that Syerleena is a proud member of.

Nothing seems to have changed with the political superstructure despite changes in political persuasion of the parties in power. The anti-intellectual traditions have continued if not strengthened under the present regime.

The politicians who have been the major beneficiaries of the system in the past (as in the present) do not need or want change as it is difficult to handle change. It benefits them to have the current system to go on as business as usual.

One can lament and make speeches and write letters, as I am doing, knowing fully well that nothing is going to change.

Academics will continue to make ridiculous statements of shipbuilding and flying in the air, without academic sanction from the institutions they come from. That is the takeaway lesson from this sorry episode.

Mansur Ali is an FMT reader.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.

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