Malaysia Announces New Higher-Education Strategy

The government of Malaysia, whose universities are battling a reputation for mediocrity, recently announced plans to revitalize its lagging university system and turn the country into a center of higher education in Southeast Asia. At an August meeting of government ministers and higher-education officials, Malaysia's prime minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, said that some 20 public universities would be granted autonomy from the central government, though not in all areas. They will be encouraged to raise their own money and will be given more power over how to spend it. Some universities will also be given more independence in hiring faculty members. But the prime minister stopped short of allowing public universities complete freedom to enroll only the best students or recruit top faculty without regard to race, stating that the universities will still have to reflect the racial makeup of the country. Critics of the proposals say that until universities operate on a system of merit that is free from political interference, the improvement plans will be empty words.