[COLUMNIST] Where have all the good men gone? The declining Malaysian higher education and the urgent need for reform

The recent integrity crisis at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), culminating in the resignation of its Vice Chancellor, exposes the decay that has long affected Malaysia’s higher education. The UKM scandal reflects a broader crisis where university leadership is determined not by merit, integrity, or academic excellence, but by political connections, among other factors, and where the lone voice of integrity goes unheard. The resignation of the VC was merely the tip of the iceberg. The entire top management, including Deputy Vice Chancellors and members of the governing board, has been complicit in a system designed to benefit a select few at the institution's expense. This is not just about one individual’s misdeeds; it is about a deeply entrenched culture of unethical leadership, where loyalty is valued over competence, and dissent is met with exclusion—summed up by the adage, “If you are not with us, you are against us.”

This crisis raises fundamental questions about the role of the Higher Education Leadership Academy (AKEPT), tasked with ensuring competent leadership in higher education. One wonders if it has been reduced to a rubber-stamping body instead of championing meritocracy. The Royal Address in Parliament recently lamented the inefficiencies and integrity deficits plaguing Malaysia’s institutions. Higher education, once the nation's pride, is not exempt from this failure.

The University and University Colleges Act (UUCA) has long been a stranglehold on academic freedom, reducing universities to bureaucratic outposts. The Minister appoints Vice Chancellors in public universities, often bypassing merit-based selection in favour of politically palatable candidates. Public university leaderships are frequently chosen based on political allegiance rather than academic or managerial excellence.

Even more troubling are the issues concerning governance. Public universities continue to suffer under outdated and politicised administrative structures with a weak autonomous framework. If Malaysia is serious about reversing the decline of its higher education system, then autonomy must be restored—not merely as a symbolic gesture but as a functional necessity.

Years of accommodating poor-quality academics and flawed selection processes have led to a severe deterioration in standards. University leadership positions have often been filled by individuals who lack the vision, expertise, or ethical grounding required to elevate institutions. The consequence? A system riddled with corruption, weak governance, and a steady erosion of academic credibility.

The UKM scandal revealed how procurement processes were manipulated, whistleblowers were sidelined, and governance structures were circumvented. If the situation at one of Malaysia’s research universities has reached such a nadir, what does this imply for the rest of the sector? The answer is clear: the entire higher education ecosystem risks collapsing under the weight of its failures.

Yet, all is not lost. If there is one lesson from the UKM debacle, change is still possible—provided that we have the political will and the moral courage to pursue it. We must revamp the appointment process, restore university autonomy, ensure accountability and integrity, and recognise talents beyond identity politics.

AKEPT must be empowered to ensure that university leadership selection is based purely on merit, free from political influence. The appointment of VCs should not be dictated by ministerial whim but through a transparent and rigorous selection process involving independent panels of academics and industry experts. The time has come to repeal or significantly reform the UUCA, granting universities the right to manage their affairs without excessive political interference. Autonomy is not a privilege—it is a necessity for academic excellence.

Further, the culture of impunity must end. University leaders, including board members, guilty of corruption, abuse of power, or gross negligence must be held accountable. This includes establishing robust whistleblower protection mechanisms to encourage transparency and ethical governance. AKEPT and the Ministry of Higher Education must ensure that leadership appointments transcend considerations of race, gender, or political affiliation. Only the most qualified Malaysians should be entrusted with steering our universities forward.

Malaysia’s higher education system stands at a critical juncture. We can continue down the path of decay, allowing corruption and mediocrity to dictate our future, or we can take bold steps to reclaim the integrity and excellence that our universities once embodied. Much has been done to elevate higher education in Malaysia, but all efforts will be in vain if we persist with the same flawed leadership selection methods. We still have time to reverse the trend—to weed out those who have tarnished our institutions and break free from the cycle of incompetence and corruption. The question is, do we have the courage to do so?

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Dr Rozilini Mary Fernandez-Chung is a Principal Fellow of Higher Education Academy, UK, an Associate Professor at the University of Nottingham Malaysian, and a life member of PenDaPaT.

** The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of Astro AWANI.

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