Abstract
In Malaysia, the national government has seen fit to steer higher education policy in a direction that is in the ‘national interest’. This notion of ‘national interest’ is best exemplified by the changing relationship between the State, higher education institutions and the market. Since the late 1960s, we saw the gradual but steady erosion of university autonomy with the increasing dominance of the State. The recently launched National Higher Education Strategic Plan 2020 and the National Higher Education Action Plan, 2007–2010, which operationalised the Strategic Plan, promises greater autonomy for the universities. While this increased autonomy for universities could be regarded as Malaysia’s response to deal with emerging issues in higher education management and governance, the amendments to the University and University Colleges Act, 1995 have not resolved the issue of wider autonomy from the Malaysian treasury regulations for public universities. For the State, in the present climate of political and economic uncertainty, giving full autonomy to the public universities is seen to be inappropriate and untimely. The State considers public universities as still heavily dependent on the State for resources, and thus the need for regulation and supervision.
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Notes
According to Halsall (1998), in its simple and rudimental form, it is a school of knowledge of every kind, consisting of teachers and learners from every quarter. Many things are requisite to complete and satisfy the idea embodied in this description; but such as this a University seems to be in its essence, a place for the communication and circulation of thought, by means of personal intercourse, through a wide extent of country. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/newman/newman-university.html.
Prior to late 1980s, support for higher education is almost exclusively a State (or public) affair. After 1980s, however, the private higher education providers began to play an important role in the provision of higher education in Malaysia, but still they do not receive state funding. However, this does not mean that there is no precarious relationship between the State and the private higher education institutions. The State does not fund private higher education thus these institutions have more financial and administrative autonomy compared to their public counterpart. But once they are upgraded to a full-pledged university status, their governance system will be strictly monitored by the state. However, even then, they still enjoy much autonomy by virtue that they did not receive funding from the state.
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Sirat, M.B. Strategic planning directions of Malaysia’s higher education: university autonomy in the midst of political uncertainties. High Educ 59, 461–473 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-009-9259-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-009-9259-0