Save UM's Indian Studies Dept, NGOs tell PM
K KabilanPublished: Aug 21, 2009 6:42 AM | Updated: Aug 21, 2009 9:40 AM
Representatives from a coalition of NGOs this morning submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to urge him to look into the ongoing crisis at the Indian Studies Department in Universiti Malaya.
Representatives from a coalition of NGOs this morning submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to urge him to look into the ongoing crisis at the Indian Studies Department in Universiti Malaya.
The coalition of 127 NGOs wanted the prime minister to immediately appoint a head of department based on relevant academic credentials and in-depth working knowledge of Malaysian Indian society.
They added that the chosen person must also have:
The memorandum was submitted to an aide of the prime minister.
"We are giving them two weeks to respond to our memorandum," said K Arumugam from the Group of Concerned Citizens. About 30 people were present to submit the memorandum at the Prime Minister's office at Putrajaya this morning.
The group also managed to submit a copy of the memorandum personally to Higher Education Minister Khaled Nordin.
"The minister said he will study the memorandum. He also said that he had issued instructions to look for a suitable candidate to head the department," said Arumugam.
He added that the minister informed them that he had asked for advertisements to be placed to look for a good candidate.
"We told him there were already capable candidates in the department itself... he said he will look into our memorandum," he added.
An acting non-Indian head in place
The department, set up in 1956, has been mired in controversy after the university appointed a non-Indian as its head of department following an acrimonious split among the staff members in the department.
UM vice-chancellor Ghauth Jasmon has been reported in the media to justify the appointment on the grounds of internal squabbles for the position of department head.
On Wednesday Khaled (right) said that former UM Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Dean Prof Mohd Raduan Mohd Ariff has been appointed acting head of the Indian Studies Department.
He said with the appointment, which took effect on July 3, Mohd Raduan was tasked to put the department back on track.
He added that the UM management was looking for an academia of Indian origin with experience and academic calibre to head the department later.
The memorandum by NGOs today addressed the issue of Mohd Raduan's appointment to replace outgoing head Associate Prof Dr S Kumaran.
The NGOs said that Mohd Raduan was "an academic from another department who is not an expert in Indian Studies".
They added that as the post was not merely an administrative position, the head must also "spearhead the department to advance knowledge and learning through quality research and education in the specified field".
"Therefore, anyone who heads the department must have specialized knowledge in the field of study and be proficient in Tamil. The appointment of anyone without these basic qualifications is a negation of the purpose for which the department was set up," added the concerned group in their memorandum.
Saying no to name change
The memorandum also touched on the widely spread speculation that the Indian Studies Department will be renamed South Asian Studies Department.
The fear is that if that happens, the long-established Indian Studies Department will just be a part of the larger new department.
"We understand the need for South Asia Studies in view of the growing economic power of India and the region. However, we would like to emphasise that Indian Studies and South Asian Studies are two separate entities with distinct foci of interest.
"As we have elaborated earlier, the focus of the Indian Studies Department has been on Malaysian Indians, ie, on the sociological, literary, economic, political and historical aspects of the Tamil and other Indian ethnic communities in Malaysia," added the memorandum.
The NGOs stated that clear parameters needed to be set to ensure that the department was not swallowed by other units for administrative convenience or to meet other ends.
The memorandum also explained the cultural link between the Indian community and the department and the importance of keeping the department intact and in the hands of the community.
The department was established in 1956 based on the Report of the Commission on University Education in Malaya under the chairmanship of Sir Alexander Carr-Saunders.
"Under the guidance of community leader G Sarangapani, the Tamil community donated in cash and kind to stock the nascent Indian Studies Department with books and other scholarly material with the hope that it will grow in strength and contribute progressively to nation building," said the memorandum.
Department plays a leading role
The NGOs urged the government to recognise the importance and role of the Indian Studies Department in advancing the language, religious and cultural rights of the ethnic community.
"The department is the only one of its kind among institutes of higher learning in Malaysia that specializes in teaching advanced Tamil language courses.
"Hence, it produces graduates fluent in the language who meet the manpower requirements of the nation in specialized areas such as in government service, teaching profession, translation units and the media and entertainment industry," added the memorandum.
Since its inception the Indian Studies Department has played a leadership role in organising international Tamil conferences, it further said.
"For reasons stated above, and to ensure the unimpeded growth of a multiethnic society, we request that immediate action be taken to retain and strengthen the Indian Studies Department for the purposes it was originally set up," pleaded the NGOs in the memorandum.
The coalition of 127 NGOs wanted the prime minister to immediately appoint a head of department based on relevant academic credentials and in-depth working knowledge of Malaysian Indian society.
They added that the chosen person must also have:
- high proficiency in Tamil language and Tamil classic,
- knowledge of Dravidian culture/religion, and
- history of Malaysian Indians.
The memorandum was submitted to an aide of the prime minister.
"We are giving them two weeks to respond to our memorandum," said K Arumugam from the Group of Concerned Citizens. About 30 people were present to submit the memorandum at the Prime Minister's office at Putrajaya this morning.The group also managed to submit a copy of the memorandum personally to Higher Education Minister Khaled Nordin.
"The minister said he will study the memorandum. He also said that he had issued instructions to look for a suitable candidate to head the department," said Arumugam.
He added that the minister informed them that he had asked for advertisements to be placed to look for a good candidate.
"We told him there were already capable candidates in the department itself... he said he will look into our memorandum," he added.
An acting non-Indian head in place
The department, set up in 1956, has been mired in controversy after the university appointed a non-Indian as its head of department following an acrimonious split among the staff members in the department.
UM vice-chancellor Ghauth Jasmon has been reported in the media to justify the appointment on the grounds of internal squabbles for the position of department head.
On Wednesday Khaled (right) said that former UM Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Dean Prof Mohd Raduan Mohd Ariff has been appointed acting head of the Indian Studies Department.He said with the appointment, which took effect on July 3, Mohd Raduan was tasked to put the department back on track.
He added that the UM management was looking for an academia of Indian origin with experience and academic calibre to head the department later.
The memorandum by NGOs today addressed the issue of Mohd Raduan's appointment to replace outgoing head Associate Prof Dr S Kumaran.
The NGOs said that Mohd Raduan was "an academic from another department who is not an expert in Indian Studies".
They added that as the post was not merely an administrative position, the head must also "spearhead the department to advance knowledge and learning through quality research and education in the specified field".
"Therefore, anyone who heads the department must have specialized knowledge in the field of study and be proficient in Tamil. The appointment of anyone without these basic qualifications is a negation of the purpose for which the department was set up," added the concerned group in their memorandum.
Saying no to name change
The memorandum also touched on the widely spread speculation that the Indian Studies Department will be renamed South Asian Studies Department.
The fear is that if that happens, the long-established Indian Studies Department will just be a part of the larger new department.
"We understand the need for South Asia Studies in view of the growing economic power of India and the region. However, we would like to emphasise that Indian Studies and South Asian Studies are two separate entities with distinct foci of interest.
"As we have elaborated earlier, the focus of the Indian Studies Department has been on Malaysian Indians, ie, on the sociological, literary, economic, political and historical aspects of the Tamil and other Indian ethnic communities in Malaysia," added the memorandum.
The NGOs stated that clear parameters needed to be set to ensure that the department was not swallowed by other units for administrative convenience or to meet other ends.
The memorandum also explained the cultural link between the Indian community and the department and the importance of keeping the department intact and in the hands of the community.
The department was established in 1956 based on the Report of the Commission on University Education in Malaya under the chairmanship of Sir Alexander Carr-Saunders.
"Under the guidance of community leader G Sarangapani, the Tamil community donated in cash and kind to stock the nascent Indian Studies Department with books and other scholarly material with the hope that it will grow in strength and contribute progressively to nation building," said the memorandum.
Department plays a leading role
The NGOs urged the government to recognise the importance and role of the Indian Studies Department in advancing the language, religious and cultural rights of the ethnic community.
"The department is the only one of its kind among institutes of higher learning in Malaysia that specializes in teaching advanced Tamil language courses.
"Hence, it produces graduates fluent in the language who meet the manpower requirements of the nation in specialized areas such as in government service, teaching profession, translation units and the media and entertainment industry," added the memorandum.Since its inception the Indian Studies Department has played a leadership role in organising international Tamil conferences, it further said.
"For reasons stated above, and to ensure the unimpeded growth of a multiethnic society, we request that immediate action be taken to retain and strengthen the Indian Studies Department for the purposes it was originally set up," pleaded the NGOs in the memorandum.
View Comments0