UTM to submit report on show-cause letter
Leong Kar YenPublished: Dec 19, 2000 11:10 AM | Updated: Jan 29, 2008 6:21 PM
The Education Ministry's parliamentary-secretary Mahadzir Mohd Khir said today that he would be getting a report from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) regarding a student being issued a show-cause letter for inviting the Education Minister to a debate on the controversial Vision School project.
"I do not know what happened but I will get a full report from UTM," Mahadzir told a dialogue session on the Vision School project organised by the University of Malaya Students Union.
He also advised that university students need to liaise with their Student Affairs Department (HEP) when they organise any student activities.
Fourth year UTM student Lee Khai Loon was given a letter dated Dec 11, 2000 from the UTM HEP stating that "... you are requested to give an explanation on the content of the letter to HEP because it involves the Ministry of Education".
"If these functions are to be held outside of campus, it's all right, but if you want to have one within campus, you have to go through HEP," said Mahadzir.
No partisan politics
Meanwhile, Mahadzir told the students not to be involved in partisan politics, adding that university students should remain steadfast to their idealism.
"I have served in Universiti Malaya for 23 years and I would like to give some advice ... that students need not be controlled by any political party," he added.
He warned that though the students had the freedom to voice their views, action would be taken be taken against those involved in partisan politics.
Tan Bee Lan, a second-year student, asked Mahadzir how students could avoid being under the thumb of politics when the HEP itself was controlled through politics.
She also added that the government should do away with the Vision School project as it did not have proper approval from the people yet.
"It is the right of the people and not the right of the politicians to decide," she said.
Not effective
Mahdzir then stated that the HEP was merely a government service provided in universities and that it was not controlled by politics.
"HEP works on its own discretion and the Vision School project has no compulsion, it does not change the status of schools. We play no politics," he said.
Later when malaysiakini interviewed several students after the dialogue, many students felt dissatisfied with the answers given by Mahadzir.
"Not enough information was given. The answers given were not satisfactory. I got more information through Dong Jiao Zong," said Ooi Yee Lee, a second-year student.
R Parthibani also voiced his concern with the Vision School project.
"The dialogue was not so effective. The answers given were not so clear," he said.
When asked what he thought of the Vision School project, he added that "we cannot expect integration just by putting everybody on the same field".
"I do not know what happened but I will get a full report from UTM," Mahadzir told a dialogue session on the Vision School project organised by the University of Malaya Students Union.
He also advised that university students need to liaise with their Student Affairs Department (HEP) when they organise any student activities.
Fourth year UTM student Lee Khai Loon was given a letter dated Dec 11, 2000 from the UTM HEP stating that "... you are requested to give an explanation on the content of the letter to HEP because it involves the Ministry of Education".
"If these functions are to be held outside of campus, it's all right, but if you want to have one within campus, you have to go through HEP," said Mahadzir.
No partisan politics
Meanwhile, Mahadzir told the students not to be involved in partisan politics, adding that university students should remain steadfast to their idealism.
"I have served in Universiti Malaya for 23 years and I would like to give some advice ... that students need not be controlled by any political party," he added.
He warned that though the students had the freedom to voice their views, action would be taken be taken against those involved in partisan politics.
Tan Bee Lan, a second-year student, asked Mahadzir how students could avoid being under the thumb of politics when the HEP itself was controlled through politics.
She also added that the government should do away with the Vision School project as it did not have proper approval from the people yet.
"It is the right of the people and not the right of the politicians to decide," she said.
Not effective
Mahdzir then stated that the HEP was merely a government service provided in universities and that it was not controlled by politics.
"HEP works on its own discretion and the Vision School project has no compulsion, it does not change the status of schools. We play no politics," he said.
Later when malaysiakini interviewed several students after the dialogue, many students felt dissatisfied with the answers given by Mahadzir.
"Not enough information was given. The answers given were not satisfactory. I got more information through Dong Jiao Zong," said Ooi Yee Lee, a second-year student.
R Parthibani also voiced his concern with the Vision School project.
"The dialogue was not so effective. The answers given were not so clear," he said.
When asked what he thought of the Vision School project, he added that "we cannot expect integration just by putting everybody on the same field".
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