Thorns await first woman VC

Kuek Ser Kuang Keng
Apr 25, 06 2:35pm

Rafiah Salim made history when she was appointed as the first woman university vice-chancellor. Bouquets and accolades poured in.

But the grapevines have warned that her two-year tenure at Universiti Malaya (UM) could be anything but a bed of roses.

Those in the know speak of forces behind the scene that might throw hurdles along the path of the new VC, whom they regard as an ‘outsider’.

According to sources, the resistance would come from two factions, once foes but now friends.

The factions are led by former UM VC Prof Dr Hashim Yaakob and deputy vice-chancellor (DVC) for student affairs and alumni Prof Dr Razali Agus respectively.

Unfair decision

Hashim, who is now a professor with the dentist faculty, had allegedly remarked that appointing an ‘outsider’ would be a shame to the university.

According to a source, he said this during a dinner held at the Marriot Hotel in Putrajaya on April 1. The source, who requested anonymity, was also present at the dinner.

Hashim had also allegedly complained at the same dinner that it was unfair for the government to not renew his contract.

The source claimed that the former VC had said he was not given sufficient time to ‘defend himself’ as the decision only reached him three days before the official announcement.

He was also said to have remarked that Parliamentary Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang would back him if the matter was raised in the media.

In his speech at the dinner earlier, Hashim said that UM’s performance had improved during his tenure.

Factions join hands

Following Hashim's ‘termination’, Razali who is the longest-serving DVC was appointed as acting VC from April 1 to 30.

It is said that after knowing of the government’s intention to appoint an outsider, Hashim’s faction aligned with Razali, who was previously in the opposing camp.

However, their lobby to make Razali the next VC was unsuccessful.

Another UM source told malaysiakini that Razali had ‘wiped out’ dissenting student candidates during the last campus polls.

While his preferred candidates managed to seize victory, the irregularities in the polls had garnered much publicity.

This, according to the source, was the final nail in Razali’s chances to become VC.

Also dimming his prospects was UM’s drop in the annual Times Higher World University Rankings. From 89 in 2004, it had plummeted to 169.

"The new (higher education) minister Mustapa Mohamad who wished to project a new image could not appoint Razali because he did oppress the students," said the source.

‘Trade-off’

On the same note, he conceded the possibility that Rafiah’s two-year appointment (as opposed to the normal three-years for VCs) could be a ‘trade off’ with Hashim.

This arrangement would help boost a new image as desired by Mustafa and at the same time minimise the blow on the former university leadership as Rafiah will be seen as an ‘interim VC’ and the old guards could reclaim the fort once she steps down.

But this could also backfire should Rafiah manage to bring back UM’s former glory and win the hearts of her subordinates.

Keeping this possibility in mind, sources said Hashim and Razali might try to undermine her leadership and effectively set the stage for a power struggle.

Repeated attempts to contact Hashim and Razali proved futile.

马大内部派系恶斗 新校长料荆棘满途

郭史光庆
Apr 24, 06 5:50pm

马来亚大学新校长的人选已尘埃落定，由金融领导国际中心执行董事拉菲雅沙林出任，但是预料以前校长哈欣雅谷和现任副校长（学生事务）拉沙里阿古斯为首的旧势力，将为拉菲雅的领导造成一定的阻力，导致她的2年短暂任期，面对更艰巨的挑战。

政府不续约的决定，导致哈欣雅谷的3年任期在今年3月31日结束。他原本在第二天，既4月1日以校长身份受邀出席马大第9宿舍村在布城一家酒店的晚宴，最后只能变成以大学后备军（Palapes）军官的身份出席。

据一名出席者透露，哈欣雅谷在演讲中重申，虽然马大的排名在英国《泰晤士报》高等教育增刊之2005年全球大学排行榜，从前一年的89名剧跌至169位，但是马大的学术素质不跌反升，其得分比前一年来得更高，言下之意就是说马大在他的领导下已取得不俗成绩。

哈欣称外人当校长是马大“耻辱”

这名不愿具名的出席者向《当今大马》透露，哈欣雅谷在演讲后与一众系院院长和宿舍长的对话中表示，政府委任一名非马大职员出任马大校长职，对马大是一种“耻辱”。

他更扬言，如果他在媒体上挑起此事，必定能够得到国会反对党领袖林吉祥的支持。哈欣雅谷当时也不满政府不与他续约的决定，他指自己是在高教部长慕斯达化公布不续约的3天前获得通知，而区区的3天并不足以让他为自己辩护，因此那是非常不公平的。

这与哈欣雅谷对外宣称自己对政府的决定“心无芥蒂”的言论相互矛盾。目前哈欣雅谷是马大牙医系的教授。

当时高教部尚未公布新校长的人选，但是《新海峡时报》在3月30日率先报道高教部已圈定3位女校长人选，既国家学术鉴定局（LAN）首席执行员莎莉花，高等教育局副总监玛哈妮再妮博士，以及拉菲雅沙林，其中以莎莉花的呼声最高。

不计前嫌力挺拉沙里出任校长职

从哈欣雅谷卸任的4月1日开始至拉菲雅上任的5月1日这段期间，由学生与校友事务处副校长拉沙里阿古斯暂代校长职，后者是该大学3名副校长中任期最久的一人。

据了解，当时确定已失势的哈欣雅谷与其派系在听闻政府将委任外人掌校的消息后，决定“两害取其轻”，向原本不同派系的拉沙里伸出橄榄枝，力挺后者接替其职位，以维持双方派系的利益。

尽管两派人马极力扮演拉沙里的说客，但是最后仍然无法影响政府的决策。一名马大讲师透露，其中原因包括拉沙里在去年9月的校园选举中，以本身的职权（学生事务处），一边打压“亲学生阵线”，另一边力挺“亲校方阵线”的手段，受到媒体的广泛报道。

校内知情人士认为，“加上之后马大排名剧跌的丑闻，新上任的慕斯达化急需呈现新的形象，摆脱前任部长沙菲益的差劲表现，若委任拥有打压学生记录的拉沙里，无法给人焕然一新的效果”。

拉菲雅恐成“过渡性校长”

不过，他也不排除，两派人马的施压成功让部长作出让步，既限制拉菲雅的任期至2年，前几届的校长合约都是3年。

他认为妥协比较符合慕斯达化的算盘，一洗过去沙菲益领导时的灰头土脸，同时也不违拉沙里和哈欣雅谷的利益，既让拉菲雅担任两年的“过渡性校长”，之后再让马大内部的派系重夺主权。

不过，如果拉菲雅的表现出色，政府可能被迫延长其任期。因此，预料拉菲雅将会面对许多前朝元老的刻意为难，构成这所全国历史最悠久大学未来两年的不稳定因素。

询及目前教职人员对拉菲雅受委的反应如何，这名不愿具名的讲师表示，拉沙里和哈欣雅谷的人马肯定感到不快，另外一些自认资深的讲师对于拉菲雅的女性身份则感到不以为然，而其他的教职人员普遍上都松了一口气，因为拉沙里并没有从代校长攫升为正式校长。

“我们都以开放的态度迎接拉菲雅的到来。”

欢迎新校长上任

马大新青年协会对于此次马大首位女校长拿督拉菲雅上任表示欢迎，然而希望她能在上任前进一步阐述其大学理念及如何解决马大目前面对的问题。

马大新青年协会依然对拿督拉菲雅出任马大首位女校长寄予期望。马大新青年协会认为此次破天荒由女性出任本地大学的校长是我国实现男女平等的一项突破，但马大新青年协会希望公众能把视角放在新校长如提升马大的学术水平上，尤其是如何把马大带回国际学术的殿堂。然而，马大新青年协会也担忧高教部委任一位拥有浓厚经济与金融背景的校长来管理马大，是否是进一步企业化或私营化马大的前奏。因此，马大新青年协会希望拿督拉菲雅能够进一步阐述其大学理念和就马大目前的问题提出其意见和解决方案。

虽然如此，马大新青年协会依然希望马大新校长能以她丰富的整顿人力资源的经验来整顿马大内部管理层的分歧并破除一切以官僚主义形式的管理模式。同时，拿督拉菲雅曾任联合国人力资源管理组的助理秘书长的职位想必能以更高的视野来管理马大，而并不是以狭隘的政治立场来决定管理方针。因此，马大新青年协会希望拿督拉菲雅能真正改革马大的管理层，建立更透明的升迁制度，让马大管理层更加有效率与能力。马大新青年协会认为升迁制度必须是以学术成就为衡量标准而非以朋党或政治立场来确立。新任校长也必须让学术人员在马大能享有绝对的学术自由，以营造一个充满学术气息的马大校园。

除此之外，马大新青年协会也盼望新任校长能给于学生在大学里更大的自主权。同时，学生也希望享有参与马大行政决策的权利，以让马大管理层真正听取学生的意见。马大新青年协会也认为曾出任马大法律系院长的拿督拉菲雅定能更了解民主与人权的重要性，因此希望她能给于学生在大学更多的自由与民主。马大新青年协会也敦促拿督拉菲雅立即指示马大学生事务局停止一切打压学生与制造白色恐怖的举动，让马大能真正实现校园自主，学生自治。学生也随时准备与新任校长一起为建立更自由民主的马大校园而努力。

最后，马大新青年协会恭贺拿督拉菲雅受委为马大校长，并衷心希望拿督拉菲雅能重建马大过去辉煌的成就，让马大在国际学术舞台上再放光芒。

马大新青年协会外务副主席

傅后特