UM VC gives assurance over Indian Studies Dept

Universiti Malaya vice-chancellor Professor Ghauth Jasmon today assured a group of Indian-based NGOs that the crisis-ridden Indian Studies Department will "be maintained at all costs".

He told this after receiving a dozen representatives led by K Arumugam from the Group of Concerned Citizens at this office this morning.

The group, representing 148 Indian NGOs, urged Ghauth to preserve the historic department and not allow it to be absorbed into some other bigger and newly established department. They also handed over their memorandum to the vice-chancellor.

"Anxiety and apprehension rule the minds of the Indian Malaysians in the matter of the Indian Studies Department's future," Arumugam told the vice-chancellor.

He said that certain events relating to the department - such as the appointment of a non-Indian as acting head of the department and the indications of the setting up of a new South Asian Department - have caused severe concerns to the Indian community.

"The Indian Studies Department has been the centre of research affairs concerning Tamil language, Tamil literature, religion, history, politics and economics. Major researches have been done in all these areas of study by the department," added Arumugam.

"If there are problems, these are matters for the university administration to investigate and resolve internally. If necessary, take disciplinary action against person or persons concerned," Arumugam argued.

‘Fed up with the department'

He also said that the alleged malpractices by the academic staff of the department should not be the basis to shut down the department.

He added that the NGOs objected to the appointment of a non-Indian as the acting head of department.

Ghauth however responded by saying that the Indian Studies Department was a small outfit with only seven academic staff left.

"We sent Professor Mohd Reduan Ariff (as acting head) there. What a horror! Each against the other. There are two groups - one led by a professor and the other, by the outgoing head of department," he added.

He also referred to the very high percentage of students getting first class honours, and questioned the quality of the post-graduate examination.

"The problems encountered there are unacceptable. There was loss of control in maintaining the standard," he said.

"The problems in the department have been going on for seven years. It could not be corrected," he added.

To a question as to why the university allowed the problem to persist for seven years, Ghauth said: "We were fed up. We let it go".

Acting head a temporary solution

Ghauth further said that Mohd Reduan's appointment as acting head was for a period to be determined later.

"He will be there until we get a suitable head for the department. Advertisements have been placed here and in India," he said.

The vice-chancellor said that no one should worry about the advertisements.

"We have a Chinese Studies Department and a China Studies Department. We have only one Indian Studies Department but no India Studies Department," he explained.

"The Indian Studies Department will be there. There is no intention at all to close it. We will maintain it at all costs," he assured.