1. In the name of internationalization, the ministry of higher education allowed each vice chancellor (VC) of our public universities to make 4 oversea visits a year and each visit should be not more than 7 days. With maximum of 4 officers per entourage, the cost per visit is more than RM100,000. With 20 public universities, the public spend not less than RM10 million for vice chancellor's oversea trips every year.
2. Well, most VC visit top 100 world raking universities and come back with few pages of standard MoU. Until now, nobody dares to asked what happened to the thousands of MoU signed by our vice-chancellors (VCs)? Few years ago, the ministry conducted a study on the status of all MoU undertaken by all public universities. To date, no official statement has been issued.
3. I don't have any data about the allegations that some trips are arranged for the VCs to visit and/or attend his son/daughter convocation before or after the official visit. If that is so, the VCs just pay food and lodging for the extra days. This is what the VCs called one of the hidden benefits that aspire them to do everything to get their contract extended.
4. Ten million ringgit is a lot of money. True, let manager managed. However, are VCs good managers? If ordinary lecturer has to apply and had his proposal scrutinised before being approved, why can't VCs? After all, we always subscribed 'leadership by the examples'. If our VCs intentions are noble and good, why they are against transparency?
5. If it takes only RM25,000 to built a low cost house to give a roof for a poor family, RM10 million can built 400 low cost houses. We wonder whether the benefits of VCs oversea visits can be of that worth.
6. Is it too difficult for the VC to write two pages of proposal prior to his visit? It is a special standard procedure that the VC oversea visits are justified after the visit? Is it too much to ask the ministry to form a committee to vet this proposal?
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
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