Voice of Insanity
The voices in my head… they talk to me…
Political Islam
Feb 1st
As a Malaysian and a Muslim, I’m ashamed at the lynch mob mentality of *some* fellow Muslims in Malaysia. Think about it, the level of thinking of some of today’s Malay Malaysians are in the same level as Americans who a few hundred years ago who in groups accused people of performing witchcraft and who then were subsequently burned at the stake.
I blame this solely on the UMNO propagated education system that deviates a lot of Malays from true Islam. Instead they are force fed garbage churned out by UMNO linked NGO’s and religious bodies. In order to push "Ketuanan Melayu" (Malay Supremacy), they needed to push "Ketuanan Islam" (Islamic Supremacy) to the Malay masses.
While Islam says you have to be fair and just to everyone, these mob push the idea that in Malaysia, because Islam is the "official religion of the federation" – as a Muslim they get to do whatever they want even if this violates Islam. Muslims must not be seen anywhere near a pig. Heck, its even censored from the movies. But the cow, the holy animal for the Hindus can have its carcass proudly displayed in night markets. Islamic preaching can be heard demeaning non-Muslims through blaring microphone after prayers. Hindu temples get demolished while mosque spurt out everywhere, even in locations reserved for community playground. It seems that if you’re a Muslim in Malaysia, you do not have to consider anyone else.
“Islam is the official religion of the federation” is corrupted to mean “Islam supersedes the constitutional rights of Malaysians”. By giving Syariah courts credibility, they mock the long standing equality of the civil courts giving rise to a whole group of problems when Islam mixes with other religions.
Syariah law enactment and state laws furthered this "supremacy" but setting up rules and regulations for non-Muslims. Because Syariah law is sold as "God’s law" in Malaysia – non-Muslims fight a losing battle from the beginning. These laws give religious enforcement bodies to pretty much whatever they want to do and not even the police can question them. Even constitutional rights of a citizen does not matter to these mob for as far as they are concerned, they are Muslim, they are Malays and that gives them the rights to pretty much rape the system!
A few days ago I was told that religious enforcement officials were citing an Indian curry house because they had their deities in the shop. The reason : Because Malays cannot enter the shop to eat! Such feudalistic approach to religion is borders blasphemous to Islam itself. These so called religious officials are rewriting Islam to suit Malaysian political needs – and Malaysia is paying the price for it.
All one has to do is look though the publication of IKIM etc to see that these organisations have not one ounce of credibility. They portray Islam being fair and just but feed the opposite to the Muslim community. For a Muslim, it is wrong to be come a munafiq (hypocrite) but these Islamic Political Opportunists are pretty much breeding munafiq Malay Muslims. A fine example is this the Allah Issue. Some how, Malaysian Islamic laws is opposite of how the rest of the world practices!
As a Muslim, I am now at a crossroads. I find that I can no longer trust what is preached by these religious officials. In fact the more I discuss Malaysian Islam with Muslims from the Middle East, the more I’m convinced that we have it wrong here. Just a few days ago there were reports that Malaysian religious bodies are giving lectures and warning the Muslims there is going to be a civil war over the Allah issue. Just when you think that these UMNO goons cannot possibly sink any lower – they surprise you by showing how slimy they really are…
The problem is, we are a multi racial country. Muslims fail to fathom that for this country to prosper we need everyone – to work together. If Malaysian Muslims keep pushing their will onto the non-Muslims, sooner or later even the most submissive will start to push back.
Indoctrination
Dec 9th
Response to this article on The Nutgraph.
A very good observation about indoctrination. BTN and indoctrination exists because :
1. To ensure that UMNO’s version of Islam is permeated throughout the nation. Think about it. Every single religious official is hand picked and fed UMNO’s version of Islam. That it is ok to tread on non-Muslim rights, its OK to be racists, corruption is OK and that Malaysian Malays are better than anyone else.
2. To ensure that citizens, especially those in government have the servitude mentality especially to the powers that be. To unconditionally serve UMNO’s purposes. Anything less than that – you are made to believe that you are the enemy of the state.
3. To ensure that every citizen, especially Malay Malaysians are suspect of other citizens. Only UMNO can be trusted. This *trust* cannot be extended to any other BN component parties and other races. Ever wonder why all top government posts are now filled with specifically of Malaysian Malays ? Specifically Armed Forces, Police including Special Branch, Rela etc. Who will these security forces serve should the opposition ever win the elections ? Worse still, will they serve UMNO and destabilize the country ? As it is no secret that the Royal Malaysian Police along with its Special Branch exclusively work in unison with UMNO.
4. The education system is politically motivated to ensure maximum indoctrination about the Malay race. Historical facts about Parameswara, Munshi Abdullah, Hang Li Po have been systematically eradicated from the syllabus or reduces to mere lines. Why? It doesn’t fit into the Malay supremacy ideology. Neither does archaeological studies on chandi in Bruas Kedah. Terms like Merong Mahawangsa, Chola Empire, GanggaNagara etc have all a distant memory. Ask any school going kids these days – they never heard of it! But, instead students are made to learn about Arab culture which have no bearing on Malaysia or Malaysian Malays. Sure Islam is the "official" religion, but since when Malay Muslims became Arabs ? The identity of Malay Malaysians have slowly been turned into Arab culture over the decades to fit into UMNO’s Islamisation policies.
Has anyone stopped to ask why indoctrination and BTN so important so much so that BTN reports to the Prime Minister’s Department ? The answer is : Dr. Mahathir. If you have all your citizens under your thumb you can do whatever you want. Every single government department under Mahathir’s rule was filled with UMNO loyalists who exist till today. And Mahathir got away with it for a long long time. He had the citizens and even the royals under his thumb. His fatal flaw was he didn’t realise how popular DSAI is.
Still BTN continues the damage control on Mahathir’s behalf – painting DSAI as a traitor to the Malay race. BTN is the remnants of the Mahathir legacy. His gift to the average Malaysian from all walks of life. BTN is the reason why government service desks are rude. BTN is the reason why corruption is rife in the police force. BTN is the reason why people like Kugan are treated like animals by the police. BTN produced generation of "Cow Head Protestors". BTN produced religious extremists who now are in high religious positions pumping out fatwas like printing press.
BTN and its indoctrination is Dr Mahathir’s view of Malaysia but just has Adolf Hitler envisaged his Aryan race – its only a dream. Or is it ? Every day we hear Utusan and other Malay propaganda machinery warn us "Do not mess with the Malays". What is it that they know that they rest of us don’t. Is there a Plan B for UMNO ? Will there be a martial law exercised should the current government fall ?
In order for UMNO to set up an indoctrination plan – it first must believe that there is a clear and present danger of dissent in Malaysian society. BTN is the first line of defence. If so, what is the last line ?
Malaysian Indians
Nov 20th
More than three years ago I wrote to Malaysiakini warning that Malaysian Indians were in danger of becoming insignificant and a pariah in their own country.
Malaysian Indians are good for only one thing – they are hard workers. They will give their life for their employer while getting paid pittance. Apart from that they are mainly ignored by the politically empowered Malays and the business minded Chinese.
The few Malaysian Indians who make it don’t bother to help their kind. The entire community is stuck in a rut fuelled by ignorance and frustration based gangsters.
Malaysian Indians, like there overseas cousins in India have also absolute loyalty to their leader to the extent of devotion. How else would a thug and a gangster who became a leader of MIC would be at the helm of a political part for multiple of decades?
Tamil schools in Malaysia are in shambles ignored by the Ministry of Education. At work they are overlooked for promotion. They are few options for Indians to be successful in Malaysia. The one place they truly excel is in the field of law.
The Malays are united by their religion and politics. The Chinese are united by their love of money. But little unites Indians. They don’t help each other. How else do you explain that Hindraf was formed after decades of silent suffering of the Indian community.
It is sad to the a race that is more than five thousand years old that have forgotten where they came from. It is sad to see them live and idle life filled with tragedy and violence. Indian men lead the statistics in alcohol abuse and violence against women.
It is of no surprise that last week a young mother killed herself and her children in grief over her brother who was shot dead by the police.
At this day and age, one would think that you would only see such things in Indian movies. But for many Indians, this is a reality. The harshness of surviving in Malaysia.
They were brought in as indentured labourers by the British. In their minds they are still in shackled by their need to be mastered. Their need to serve.
What is the future of the Malaysian Indians ? Will they accept their destiny of once great Indian empire that nations across the world feared or will they quietly disappear into the void forgotten in the still of the night ?
Australia’s Predatory Education
Nov 11th
Australia’s Predatory Education
By Ghali Hassan
10 November, 2009
Countercurrents.org
There are more than half a million international students in Australia. Despite the exaggerated “benefits” they allegedly bring to Australia, international students are eroding Australia’s education system at the expense of Australians.
The purpose of this article is to demystify the so-called Australia’s international “education export industry” and sheds light on its profound effects on Australia’s education system and its ability to serve the Australian community. Australia has the highest proportion of international students in tertiary education at 19 per cent of the sector in 2008, compared with an OECD average of 7 per cent. About half of international students in Australia is overwhelmingly (46.3 per cent) in vocational courses, Vocational Education and Training (VET). The number of Asian students in VET courses (services, hospitality and transportation) has grown markedly because they have fewer requirements and designed specifically for people to gain permanent residency.
In 2009, 72 per cent of international students were from Asia, predominantly from wealthy and middle class socio-economic backgrounds – the elites. The main sources are China and India. Together, they account for more than 42 per cent of Australia’s 547,600 international student enrolments, with annual growth rates at 18 per cent and 38 per cent respectively. “[Their] main purpose in coming to Australia is to obtain permanent residency. Take that lure away and the main reason why tens of thousands [of Asian students] are prepared to outlay up to AUD$20,000 (US$16,000) every year disappears”, wrote Geoff Maslen, a reporter on education for University World News. By contrast, in the US and the UK, perceived quality of education, is the primary attraction for international students to study there. "The perceived quality of the education available in the US and the UK remains the predominant reason overseas students travel there for education", according to a report by the UK-based research organisation, The Observatory on Borderless Higher Education.
Only in the U.S. and Japan universities and colleges charge more tuition fees than in Australia. But only in Australia, international students have an ‘automatic’ right to apply for permanent residency and continue to live in Australia. Those who failed to obtain permanent residency remain in the country unlawfully. Indeed, Indian and Chinese students are ranked among the highest risk groups of visa violations alongside Bangladeshis and Cambodians (Department of Immigration and Citizenship [DIAC]).
The fierce competition among universities removes any admission requirement for international applicants. International students are recruited for universities and private colleges as “cash cows” that have no benefit to Australians. Once applicants paid their fees, they are guaranteed admission and visa. Most, if not the majority of international students who are admitted to courses in Australian universities and vocational colleges had failed to gain admission to universities in their own countries. In addition, most international students are admitted with little English.
According to Bob Birrell, co-director of the Centre for Population and Urban Research and a reader in sociology at Monash University, more than one-third (40 per cent) of international students who received permanent residency in Australia after graduating from an Australian university lack the required language skill in English to be awarded a place in an Australian university, let alone manage a professional job in Australia. To put it another way: international students who gained a permanent residence visa in 2005–2006 after graduating from an Australian university did not achieve the ‘competent’ band 6 English standards on the International English Language Testing system (IELTS). [1] Today, the majority of these so-called “graduates” are working in a variety of Australia professions, including Australian universities and Australia’s debilitating health care system.
Moreover, universities around Australia awarded thousands of degrees, including PhDs and Masters to students who still unable to speak English, let alone write a thesis in English. With many universities have become “Third World” sweatshops of mass-production of (mostly) Asian “graduates” with higher degrees (this writer can personally attest to have witness sweatshops education for international students in universities around Australia). In Asia, they are called “fake Kangaroo” degrees bought in Australia.
The so-called ‘Global Education’ currently embarrassed by universities in Australia is one of many advertising campaigns designed to lure fee-paying international students (mostly Asians) to enrol in Australian universities at the expense of young Australians and Australia’s education reputation. It is a campaign to generate money, nothing more, nothing less. A “predatory” education with dire consequences is how a Canadian academic rightly described Australia’s current education system.
The effects on teaching quality are more immediate. The average student staff ratio has almost doubled since the mid-1980s, up from about 11:1 in the mid 1980s to about 21:1 now. The results are; larger universities; much larger classes, much less contact between students and their teachers and less education going on. The consequence of this is, as Bob Birrell told Annabelle Quince of ABC Radio National; “With more than 50 per cent or more [of classes] made up of overseas students, so their needs dominate the form of instruction and in essence what’s happened is that teachers have had to adapt their teaching strategy to the qualities of students that they’re dealing with and as a consequence they tend to diminish the work that requires essay-writing or seminar discussion and go to tests which overseas students can manage, and so I think we have seen a deterioration of standards as a consequence”. Put simply, quality is no longer relevant; quantity is. Of course, genuine students gain nothing from unworthy education. A worthy education is an education that “international students can take back to their country of origin with profit”. [2]
Furthermore, plagiarism is widespread among international students in Australian universities. It is not only tolerated, but also encouraged. Academic staff are put under enormous pressure by university administrators to keep the level of testing international students as low as possible and not to challenge students found plagiarising and cheating in order to make Australian an attractive alternative to many Asian students. The aim is to make more money, and fast.
In 2003, the University of New Castle reprimanded a lecturer and accused him of “insensitive to “other” cultures for objecting to plagiarism, as if plagiarism is cultural. Fifteen Malaysian students were allowed to pass an assignment after they were found to be engaged in blatant plagiarism. The scandal cost the University’s vice-chancellor (Roger Holmes) his job. And in 2004, the masters program in information technology at the University of New England “turned out 220 plagiarised theses of the 230 that were checked. The degree made attractive to Indian students hoping for permanent residency in Australia as “skilled” immigrants. The academic who blow the whistle was “pooh-poohed” and told to “go away” by his supervisors (The Australian, July 29, 2009).
It is important to note that the scandal of plagiarism is not confines to a few Australian universities; rather it is widespread and remains unexposed. According to data obtained under the freedom of information law by the Sydney Morning Herald, “some of the state’s [New South Wales] most highly regarded universities have recorded the most incidents of student misconduct”. “It is estimated almost 3500 students – mostly postgraduate international and commerce students – have been caught plagiarising or cheating across eight universities since 2001” (Sydney Morning Herald, November 20, 2006). Other universities remain silent and refusing to release information on plagiarism. Speaking-out is considered misconduct, and those who dare to speak-out have paid dearly. It works very well. Australia is the most authority-obedient society. The silent complicity in academia and in the media (on any issue) has turned Australian society into a tapestry of complete passivity. “In Australia, we are trained to respect this censorship by omission … It did not happen. Even while it was happening it did not happen it did not matter. It was of no interest”, said John Pilger, recently.
Fuelled by self-interest and short-term gain, “Australia’s lust for high-dollar international students has led to a thriving black market in sham marriages, forged English language exams and bogus courses, and turned a once-respected international education sector into a recognised immigration racket”, reported The Australian (July 14, 2009). Recent investigations have revealed widespread corruption with thousands of students enrolled in colleges that have few facilities but which charge huge fees by offering fast-tracked ways of gaining permanent residency. It is a “flawed policy with major scams and rots being discovered on a regular basis”, wrote John Sutton, the secretary of Australian Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU). The policy benefits the wealthy and affluent bogus students at the expense of genuine refugees and humanitarian program immigrants fleeing real persecution and Western-imperialist wars of aggression.
The flood of international students has incited strong resentment and animosity among local Australian students and many (marginalised) Australians. On university campuses segregation is real and resentment is simmering. International and local students do not mix and do not cross each other’s path. The recent a spat of violent assaults on Indian students in Melbourne and Sydney by Australians is a case in point.
While racially-motivated violence against students and all forms of racism must be strongly condemned, it is important to note that violence and racism were forged into the Australian national character. From the outset, violence and racism formed the foundation of Anglo-Australia, and remain so today alive and thriving.
Meanwhile, universities have rejected the Indian students’ claim that the attacks were racially-motivated and accused the students of using the protests to manipulate the system and gain the sympathy of corrupt education bureaucrats and immigration officials. According to Professor Paul Rodan, Director of Intercultural Education Research Institute at Central Queensland University, the protests by Indian students are linked to students’ motivation to secure permanent residency and less to do with racism because they (the protests) always occurred near the end of semester. It sounds like a plausible explanation to most people.
It is ironic that Indian students, the Indian media and Indian politicians are protesting against racism in Australia, not against the virulent racism and violence in India. While both countries practise institutional and structural racism and are ranked very high on the list of most racist countries in the world, India is the most unequal society on the planet. More than half of India’s population is living in absolute poverty “pitted against a juggernaut of daily injustices”. India is rightly described by the Indian author Arundhati Roy as, a violent police state, a “barbaric society” ruled by a corrupt Western-oriented ‘Ruling Caste’. It is marred by continuing racial violence (Hindu violence against minority Muslims and Christians). India of course, is also home to Hindu Fascism or Hindutva – a variant of the anti-Muslims Fascism that is spread by Israel and pro-Israel Zion-fascists in many parts of the world, including Europe, Australia and North America. In India, the disease is spread by the fascist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) – which is known for its bigoted thugs Narendra Modi and Varun Gandhi (no relation to Mahatma Gandhi) –, the Indian media and bigoted thugs in India’s corrupt Ruling Caste. [3]
The Indian protests gave Australian politicians, pundits and the racist media rusty ammunition to rant about Australia’s “tolerance”, “multiculturalism” and the fabricated “friendly” images. Australia, they argue is “free of racism”. Some have accused the police of neglecting their duties to tackle street crimes, as if Australia’s deeply-entrenched racism has suddenly evaporated.
When it came to the issues of racism and discrimination, members of the Australian Muslim community (1.7 per cent of the population) are living in fear, and Australian Muslim students are a prime target by many Australian universities. Encouraged by deep-seated racism and prejudice against Muslims in the Australian political and the racist media establishments, and draconian anti-Muslims laws masquerading as “anti-terror” laws, Australian universities have become anti-Muslims think-tanks and breeding grounds for the most indoctrinated and racist islamophobes.
There is ample evidence that some Australian universities are deliberately employing and nurturing the most virulent and racist bigots in the country, with deep racial contempt for students from Muslim backgrounds. It is seen as part of Australia’s systemic racism in education and employment, and there is no better place to enforce a racist system than in educational institutions.
Meanwhile, the AUD$15 billion annual “education export industry”, as it is often referred to by university bureaucrats, education agents and politicians, is an inflated rhetoric promoted by universities and overseas education agents to gain economic/political mileage. ‘The best we can say is up to a half of this so-called export revenue is generated through local employment in Australia because we know that most students (use) their right to work 20 hours and often many times more than that because it’s very difficult, if not impossible to enforce’, said Bob Birrell (The Australian, July 01, 2099). So, if their earnings is deducted, the total is believed to be far less than the estimated AUD$15 billion.
Education is not the primary motivation why Asian students come to Australia; economic is. Most Asian students are employed, taking jobs from poor Australian students and Australians from low socio-economic backgrounds (including refugees). As a result, the number of 15-24-year-old Australians in work has fallen by more than 100,000 in the year to June 2009. Furthermore, international students are also putting more pressure on low cost accommodation and forcing local students and low income Australians to “take desperate measures”, including living in abandoned buildings. In the suburbs, international students “are competing for accommodation and living space with predominantly low socio-economic status non-English-speaking-background (NESB) communities”. [2]
In addition, this kind of “education export industry” brought no benefits to ordinary Australians, particularly to those from low-socio economic status who remain under-represented in Australian universities. Indeed, many Australian universities, including the ‘Group of Eight’ (the ANU, Melbourne, Sydney, UNSW, Monash, Queensland, Western Australian and Adelaide) do not welcome students from low socio-economic backgrounds. While “universities have tripled the number of full-fee paying international students since 1995, they are not exactly clamouring for more local places to broaden students participation”, wrote Simon Marginson, a professor of higher education at the University of Melbourne (The Age, February 17, 2008). In fact, universities have adopted a hostile attitude toward local students. Every year, thousands of Australian school leavers – mostly from low and middle-incomes families – face uphill battle trying to get a place to study at university. In 2009, some 18,500 eligible Australian applicants missed out on university place, up from 12,600 in 2008.
In less than two decades, Australia has moved from a system of free tertiary education for all to one of the most expensive systems in the developed world. The biggest losers are Australians from lower socio-income background. Evidence has been presented outlining concerns about equity and participations. “We confirmed that [Australians] of low socio-economic status are about one-third as likely as people from high socio-economic backgrounds to participate in higher education. And the share of places for people from low socio-economic backgrounds – about 15 per cent of places – has remained virtually unchanged for 15 years despite the expansion of access to higher education”, wrote Alan Robinson, the vice-chancellor of the University of Western Australia who took part in a recent Universities Australia study. “That this figure of 15 per cent has remained in place for so long demonstrates that education in Australia need to be invigorated and innovative to break this enduring figure”, he added (Sydney Morning Herald, July 17, 2008).
Unashamed, most Australians live in self-induced illusion and think “their country” is embracing more equality when facts and overwhelming evidence point in another direction, toward greater inequality and inequity. For example, the gap between indigenous and non-indigenous education has widened like never before. According to PISA, the survey of the knowledge and skills of 15-year-olds, more than one-third of Australia’s Indigenous students, ‘do not have the adequate skills and knowledge in reading literacy to meet real-life challenges and remain at a substantial disadvantage in their lives beyond school’ (OECD Programme for International Assessment [PISA], 2000-2006). Furthermore, the life expectancy of Indigenous Australians is up to twenty years shorter than white Australians. Indigenous Australians suffer a higher rate of most types of health conditions than non-indigenous Australians. For example, blindness (treatable or preventable eye disease caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis) rates in Indigenous adults are ‘six times the rates of the rest of Australia’, a comprehensive study, The National Indigenous Eye Health Survey, revealed recently. Australia is the only ‘developed’ country of a World Health Organisation ‘Shame List’ of countries where (80 per cent) of children are still blinded by trachoma. I mentioned health, because education and health are interconnected. “The development of society can be judged by the quality of its population’s health” and education. Hence, equality and “equity [are] central to this premise”. [4]
Today, Australian universities are diverting resources to educate foreign students – because the Australian government reward them by allowing them to discriminate against Australians and enrol as much as international students. And despite the fact that most Australian universities are public universities – though they behave like private corporations –, they are neglecting their primary role to educate Australians.
Meanwhile, Australian universities are fighting tooth and nail to convince the Australian Senate to pass the Student Services and Amenities Bill. The Bill proposes that an annual fee of up to AUD$250.00 to be paid by each Australian student. It is misleading to suggest that the money will be spent to provide services, including legal advice to students. Most universities have sub-contracted their services and amenities (food outlets and sport activities) to corporate businesses that charge premium price and provide no benefits to students. In fact, universities have manipulated the Students Association to campaign for the introduction of the annual fee, but have rejected students’ demand to use part of the fee for cultural activities. More often, a few students are chosen (through fraudulent elections) for the Association, bribed and trained by universities not to “represent” students, but to serve the interests of the universities.
Finally, despite the rise in student numbers and fees, Australia’s “education export industry” has only devalued Australia’s education and encouraging it to descend into an uncertain future. It is true, universities have increased their annual income, but students have not benefited. The University of Western Sydney (UWS) is a good case in point. Education at the UWS, with six campuses in Sydney’s western and south-western regions, has declined significantly. Despite having a large number of international students and receives the largest government handouts (public money), UWS has the highest staff-student ratio in the nation and a history of financial risk, chronic corruption and continuous restructuring, according to a recent study, Overload, sponsored by the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU). One of the researchers, Robyn Moroney, who took part in the study revealed to the media: “Regarding quality, UWS is fast approaching the point where irreparable damage will be done to our reputation”. [5]
Furthermore, in September 2008, a forum organised by the School of Education at UWS and attended by most school principals in the state of New South Wales, concluded that the University’s (money-making) teacher education program “produces too many teachers without the essential teaching skills to teach”. The University’s other programs are just as bad as the teacher education program, if not worse. The University lacks the commitment to teaching and learning. It exists merely to provide privileged employment for its mostly white Anglo Australian staff on campuses in Australia’s most culturally-diverse regions, but with the “[h]ighest levels of racism [and intolerance] by Sydney standards and recognition of Anglo privilege”. [6]
Australian education system – once said to be the envy of many nations – is descending into irrelevancy. The standard of Australia’s education falls sharply. Only a few Australian universities remain on the World Universities Ranking list. According to The Times Higher Education Supplement World rankings, there were 14 Australian universities in the top 200 list in 2004 ranking, only 8 remain today. The Australian National University (ranked at 17) remains the only Australian university in the top 35. Furthermore, in 2009, there are only three Australian universities ranked in the top 100 of the Jiao Tong 500 ranking drawn by Shanghai Jiao University, with the Australian National University ranked 59 followed by the University of Melbourne at 75 and the University of Sydney at 94. It should be mentioned that while these rankings are not an indicator of quality education, the number of world-class Australian universities on the list is shrinking rapidly. Australian universities have become profit-oriented and their credibility and reputation have declined significantly. The result is Australian students lag behind in many subjects, including maths and a science, the country’s prerequisite to remaining competitive.
Furthermore, the emphasis on vocational courses as money maker by many Australian universities has seen a sharp decline in the liberal arts and humanities education at the expense of Australia’s education and Australian students. In other words, the expansion of vocational courses sucks resources away – as resources are diverted to cater for increased number of international students – to the extent that many courses in arts and humanities have been eliminated.
The key question remains, what kind of education is Australia developing? “Australia cannot continue to recruit Chinese and Indian students at such an unsustainable levels in the medium term without compromising [Australia’s] education standards”, said Tony Pollock, chief executive of IDP Education, Australia’s largest recruitment agent of international students. Ultimately, Australian universities have to reduce their reliance on a risky education market of international students and commit to Australia’s future by educating and training Australians and building long-term reputation and excellence in education that has been one of the keys to Australia’s economic success, as argued by many academics.
Simply following a predatory education would have disastrous effects on the quality of Australia’s education reputation and damage the ability of Australian professionals to provide service to the community. Hence, Australia needs a new education, one that makes quality research and teaching for all Australians its principle goal.
The article was first published in German by Axis of Logic.
Notes:
[1] Birrell, B. (2006). Implications of low English standards among overseas students at Australian universities. People and Place, 14(4): 53–64.
[2] Birrell, B. and Perry, B. (2009). Immigration policy change and the international student industry. People and Place, 17(2): 64-80.
[3] Chatterji, P. A. (2009). Violent Gods: Hindu Nationalism in India’s Present, Narratives
from Orissa. Gurgaon, India: Three Essays Collectives.
[4] Marmot, M. (2007). Achieving health equity: from root causes to fair outcomes. Lancet, 370: 1153-1163.
[5] Jensen, A. L. and Morgan, K. (2009). Overload. Melbourne: National Tertiary Education Union. Retrieved 26 August 2009 from: www.nteu.org.au.
[6] Forrest, J. and Dunn, K. (2007). Constructing racism in Sydney, Australia’s largest EthniCity. Urban Studies, 44(4): 699-721.
Ghali Hassan is an independent writer living in Australia.
Australia needs skilled workers not more uni graduates
Nov 11th
Australia needs skilled workers not more uni graduates
ANDREW SMITH
November 11, 2009
Much has been made of the fact that Australia has escaped the worst of the global financial slowdown over the past year but there remains a critical challenge to its long-term economic stability.
In short, the problem is this: there are too many students studying at university for the Australian economy to realise its potential, and there is an urgent need to redress the balance.
Our fortune in avoiding the worst of the global financial crisis is not only due to our relative geographic isolation from other countries or economies; nor is it because Australia is a nation in overall long-term growth.
Quite simply, our nation’s overall stability involves one particular key ingredient: human capital.
Having a skilled and diverse workforce is, and will forever continue to be, a critical factor in this country’s ongoing economic development. Australia needs skilled workers armed with useful, practical vocational qualifications as much as, if not more than, traditional higher education qualifications, otherwise our economic growth and prosperity will stall, or even go backwards: hindered by too few skilled workers in areas such as agriculture, personal services (aged care, child care etc), building and construction and traditional trades.
Which is where Australia’s higher education sector, and in particular the private education and training sector, comes into its own.
Students today want choice, flexibility and quality. They want to have the choice of studying at a quality private institution, a niche industry provider, a TAFE college or an enterprise organisation as much as an established public university.
Private higher education is thriving. Students are modernising their interpretation of higher education: already one in 10 tertiary qualifications is delivered by private higher education institutions and this percentage is increasing in line with student demand for innovative, non-conventional higher education delivered through non-university institutions.
As the Federal Government continues with its higher education reform agenda, it is important to ensure that the model of tertiary education evolving in Australia has student outcomes as its core focus.
As well as choices about where they want to study, today’s higher education students – be they domestic or international – also want choice about how they study: they want to have the flexibility of courses that can be delivered online, by correspondence, in real-world industry settings or in traditional classroom environments. Or indeed a combination of all these models.
Most of all, students want a quality education that they know will equip them in the best way possible for a rewarding career and with the most relevant skills for their chosen career.
Whoever said universities were the only way we could provide all Australians or international students with the skills they needed and the education they wanted? The Australian Council for Private Education and Training has long advocated a single national tertiary system that encourages institutions to tailor and deliver innovative courses, using both academic and vocational education strengths.
Such a system would remove artificial barriers to entry that favour one type of institution over another or one type of student over another, and adopt a single national regulatory framework that does the same.
The key tests for education providers in Australia should be based on student outcomes, not delineated by public or private business models.
It is also critical that government policy does not stifle the innovation, industry focus and flexible delivery that students want and which has clearly been the area in which quality private institutions have taken the lead.
This means that all institutions, private as much as public, must be supported in their commitment to greater access and equity in tertiary education.
It means that quality private institutions need equitable access to government funding for infrastructure so that they can maintain their investment in Australia’s human capital.
Standards must be developed afresh to recognise the true nature of higher education delivery in Australia rather than focus solely on outdated university-centric notions of teaching and infrastructure.
Quality training and education is the cornerstone of improved productivity, quality of life and better life prospects.
It builds our nation, shields us against the worst of global recession and improves the opportunities available to all Australians.
Fewer students in universities is a good thing for the country and a good thing for the economy.
Andrew Smith is chief executive of the Australian Council for Private Education and Training. He was in the affirmative team in last night’s Fairfax/University of Sydney IQ2 debate ”Too many people go to university”.
National Parody – Enjoy this satire.
Aug 11th
This article has been declared of PUBLIC CONCERN by the Malaysian Department of Homeland Security
This is because there is no word for "parody" in Malay. Avoid falling into the trap of heart!
WARNING: The following text contains the truth that has been long hidden from the public.
(The goal of this article is to provide the public with unrestricted information in the form of political satire.)
Islamic Soviet Union of Malaysia
Motto: 1Malaysia, Double Standards
Anthem: Negarakuku
Population:
26 million citizens and 1.5 billion illegal immigrants
Largest city:
City Nurhaliza
Official languages:
Unintelligible rojak of Malay, English and Chinese
Government:
Fascist Dictatorship
Major exports:
Durian, Jihad Terrorist, Quran, Moral Textbooks, Pirated VCD & DVD, Smatijoves, Pork, Water, Sewage (to Sinkaypoh), Cooking Oil, Condoms, Hand gloves, Belacan, Nasi Lemak
National Icon:
KLCC, Tolls, Duit Kopi, Excellent Taxi Service, Dirty Roads, Polluted River and Beach, Vandalism, Snatch Theft, Uneducated Leaders and Dirty Toilets
Declaration of Independence:
If it’s a Malay problem, it’s a national problem; If it’s a Chinese problem, it’s a racial problem; If it’s an Indian problem, it’s not a problem.
Language : Rojak
The official and most widely spoken language of Malaysians is Rojak Language, also known as Bahasa Rojak. Rojak language often regarded as the World’s 2nd International Language by experts for its diversity and uniqueness by combining various languages. It consists of Malay, Chinese, Tamil, English, Japanese, Spanish, French, Hokkien, Thai, Elven, Orc, Pokemon, Digimon, Mars, Venus, and many more. With that, everyone can communicate without the need to know more than 1 language. This is very useful in foreign nations as messages can be conveyed effectively using only Rojak. Rojak is also the simplest language ever constructed, just follow the following rules.
Law:
* Add "Lah" in the end of every sentence. Bob your head when doing that.
* Use "maybe", "can", "dunno" extensively.
* Each sentence must consist of more than 3 dialects/languages.
* If you dont know what to do next just say "OK" and nod your head.
Malaysian Economy
Malaysia exports a lot of rubber to countries around the world. However, the main Malaysian export is brains which is sourced from today’s brightest minds of Malaysian youth. Brains are exported to countries such as UK, the US and Australia through institutions called private colleges. This is a serious problem for the nation because while this ensures that Malaysia would be free of the undeserving immigrant Chinese, it also makes Malaysian graduates more stupid in average. Studies show that by the year 2019, Malaysian graduates will be unable to differentiate between their left and right hand.
Another major source of income is from pirates – no, not those who rob at sea or plunder the land from the sea, but those who are in the business of producing, duplicating, and distributing illegal copies of DVDs. It is therefore no surprise that the main Malaysian import is porn from various foreign nations, which has high demand by Malaysian buyers in ‘pasar malams’ (night markets). The local porn market has seen increased production in recent years, with amateurish and voyeuristic productions frequently on sale at various night markets.
Politics of Malaysia
Malaysia is a dictatorship disguised as a Parliamentary Democracy. This is because unlike most democracies which splits it’s power to make sure that no single entity have too much power, Malaysia’s true power is in its Executive Branch, which is the Prime Minister’s branch, hence the government. They exert their rule with fear, using the ISA, and forcing laws that strips power from the Legislative and Judicial Branches. Members of the Parliament no longer have diplomatic immunity because of these policies, and can be imprisoned if they offend the government, which has happened many times.
In Malaysia, political groups are known as parties. This is because they love to party all day and night while ignoring their responsibility in attending parliamentary meetings. They think it is easier to brainstorm for solutions to develop the country to suck more money from the taxpayers while they are outdoors drinking beer, dancing to dangdut, etc., than just sitting still for hours in the boring Parliament staring at the face of Agong.
Malaysians have a responsibility when the election comes. In a nutshell, all they have to do can be summarized in 3 steps: 1 – Enter the voting booth. 2 – Mark the left box. 3 – Leave.
There is absolutely no point in even thinking about which party to represent themselves. Both left wing and right wing parties are inept and corrupt. And since their lives are not broken for the time being, why should they fix it? So they just vote the default ruling party on the left box and leave.
Education of Malaysia
The education system of Malaysia is unique, being the only system in the world to penalize high achievers and reward idiots. Brains are exported overseas while the least brightest are nurtured locally, which is the main reason why Malaysians would be unable to differentiate between left and right by 2020. All Malaysians attend 11 years of compulsory brainwashing at government facilities called public schools. Upon graduating, ethnic Malays enroll in top-quality world class Malaysian universities.
Malaysia is the only country in the world that requires information about your "race" when you sit for a national exam. The Minister of Education of course denies any favouring towards the Malays but everyone knows that if you are non-Malay, the job of marking your paper will be outsourced to an unknown country.
Still, the Malays are generous enough to do extra badly in the exams and thus end up with marks lower than the Chinese or Indians. However, most Malays regret neglecting their education and not being able to make good money and so they usually take on jobs that allow them to feel the money in their hands for a little while. Examples are toll booth attendants, fast food restaurant cashiers, and those people that sit in front of public toilets to collect 20 cents per toilet entry, plus another 20 cents for toilet paper.
SPM
Students sitting for the SPM examination is analogous to a cow, as this examination assesses the ability of students to swallow and regurgitate information. Subjects can be easily passed by memorizing the entire textbook without actually understanding anything.
While other international examinations are increasing in standard every year, the SPM examination has shown a steady decline compared from 70s and 80s until today. The reason is simple, if the standard is lowered, more students (read: Malays) will be able to score As, this would appear as if Malaysians are getting smarter every year, credits to the government for this ingenious plan.
The SPM has 6 compulsory subjects: Malay, substandard English, Semi-Modern Math, Immoral Education, PseudoScience, and Fabricated History.
The non-Muslim students have to tolerate 2 years of ineffective brainwashing during History, Moral and Civic lessons. Civics was introduced in 2005 when the brilliant government discovered that the reason for brain drain is due to students not being patriotic enough. Consequently, the head researcher, Datuk Hisappuding was awarded a medal for his amazing findings. As a result, students get another 2 classes of snoozing time per week because no one listens during Civic lessons.
The UnBiased Government of Malaysia
(1) Of the five major banks, only one is multi-racial, the rest are controlled by Malays.
(2) 99% of Petronas directors are Malays.
(3) 3% of Petronas employees are Chinese.
(4) 99% of 2000 Petronas gasoline stations are owned by Malays.
(5) 100% all contractors working under Petronas projects must be of Bumis status.
(6) 0% of non-Malay staff are legally required in Malay companies. But there must be 30% Malay staffs in Chinese companies.
(7) 5% of all new intake for government police, nurses, army, are non-Malays.
(8) 2% is the present Chinese staff in Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF), a drop from 40% in 1960.
(9) 2% is the percentage of non-Malay government servants in Putrajaya, but Malays make up 98%.
(10) 7% is the percentage of Chinese government servants in the entire government (in 2004); a drop from 30% in 1960.
(11) 95% of government contracts are given to Malays.
(12) 100% all business licensees are controlled by Malay government, e.g. Taxi permits, Approved permits, etc.
(13) 80% of the Chinese rice millers in Kedah had to be sold to Malay controlled Bernas in 1980s. Otherwise, life is made difficult for Chinese rice millers.
(14) 100 big companies set up, owned and managed by Chinese Malaysians were taken over by government, and later managed by Malays since 1970s, e.g. UTC, UMBC, MISC, etc.
(15) At least 10 Chinese owned bus companies (throughout Malaysia in the past 40 years) had to be sold to MARA or other Malay transport companies due to rejection by Malay authorities to Chinese applications for bus routes and rejection for their applications for new buses.
(16) Two Chinese taxi drivers were barred from driving in Johor Larkin bus station. There are about 30 taxi drivers and three were Chinese in Oct. 2004. Spoiling taxi club properties was the reason given.
(17) 0 non-Malays are allowed to get shop lots in the new Muar bus station (Nov. 2004).
(18) 8000 billion ringgit is the total amount the government channeled to Malay pockets through ASB, ASN, MARA, privatization of government agencies, Tabung Haji etc, through NEP over a 34 years period.
(19) 48 Chinese primary schools closed down from 1968 – 2000.
(20) 144 Indian primary schools closed down from 1968 – 2000.
(21) 2637 Malay primary schools built from 1968 – 2000.
(22) 2.5% is government budget for Chinese primary schools. Indian schools got only 1%, Malay schools got 96.5%.
(23) While a Chinese parent with RM1000 salary (monthly) cannot get school textbook loan, a Malay parent with RM2000 salary is eligible.
(24) All 10 public university vice chancellors are Malays.
(25) 5% of the government universities’ lecturers are of non-Malay origins. This percentage has been reduced from about 70% in 1965 to only 5% in 2004.
(26) Only 5% has been given to non-Malays for government scholarships in over 40 years.
(27) 0 Chinese or Indians were sent to Japan and Korea under the “Look East Policy.”
(28) 128 STPM Chinese top students could not get into the course to which they aspired, i.e. Medicine (in 2004).
(29) 10% quotas are in place for non-Bumi students for MARA science schools beginning in 2003, but only 7% are filled. Before that it was 100% Malays.
(30) 50 cases in which Chinese and Indian Malaysians are beaten up in the National Service program in 2003.
(31) 25% of the Malaysian population was Chinese in 2004, a drop from 45% in 1957.
(32) 7% of the Malaysian population is Indian (2004), a drop from 12% in 1957.
(33) 2 million Chinese Malaysians have emigrated in the past 40 years.
(34) 0.5 million Indian Malaysians have emigrated overseas.
(35) 3 millions Indonesians have migrated to Malaysia and become Malaysian citizens with Bumis status.
(36) 600,000 Chinese and Indian Malaysians with red IC were rejected repeatedly when applying for citizenship in the past 40 years. Perhaps 60% of them had already passed away due to old age. This shows racism, based on how easily Indonesians got their citizenships compared with the Chinese and Indians.
(37) 5% – 15% discount for a Malay to buy a house, regardless whether the Malay is rich or poor.
(38) 2% is what new Chinese villages get, compared with 98% – what Malay villages got for rural development budget.
(39) 50 road names (at least) had been changed from Chinese names to other names.
(40) 1 Dewan Gan Boon Leong (in Malacca) was altered to another name (e.g. Dewan Serbaguna or something like that) when it was only officially used for a few days. The government tries to shun Chinese names. This example of racism occurred around 2000.
(41) 0 temples/churches were built for each housing estate. But every housing estate got at least one mosque/surau built.
(42) 3000 mosques/surau were built in all housing estates throughout Malaysia since 1970. No temples or churches are required to be built in housing estates.
(43) 1 Catholic church in Shah Alam took 20 years to apply to have a building constructed. But they were told by Malay authority that it must look like a factory and not like a church. As of 2004 the application still have not been approved.
(44) 1 publishing of Bible in Iban language banned (in 2002).
(45) 0 of the government TV stations (RTM1, RTM2, TV3) are directors of non-Malay origin.
(46) 30 government produced TV dramas and films always showed that the bad guys had Chinese faces, and the good guys had Malay faces. You can check it out since 1970s. Recent years, this has become less of a tendency.
(47) 10 times, at least, Malays (especially Umno) had threatened to massacre the Chinese Malaysians using May 13, since 1969.
(48) 20 constituencies won by DAP would not get funds from the government to develop. These Chinese majority constituencies would be the last to be developed.
(49) 100 constituencies (parliaments and states) had been racially re-delineated so Chinese votes were diluted for Chinese candidates. This is one of the main reasons why DAP candidates have consistently lost in elections since the 1970s.
(50) Only 3 out of 12 human rights items are ratified by the Malaysian government since 1960.
(51) 0 – elimination of all forms of racial discrimination (UN Human Rights) has not been ratified by Malaysian government since 1960s.
(52) 20 reported cases whereby Malay ambulance attendances treated Chinese patients inhumanely, and Malay government hospital staffs purposely delayed attending to Chinese patients in 2003. Unreported cases may be 200.
(53) 50 cases each year whereby Chinese, especially Chinese youths, are being beaten up by Malay youths in public places. Police reports may be checked to verify this, provided the police took the report, otherwise there will be no record.
(54) 20 cases every year whereby Chinese drivers who accidentally knocked down Malays were seriously assaulted or killed by Malays.
(55) 12% is what ASB/ASN got per annum while banks fixed deposits are only about 3.5% per annum.
Note: All of the above are edited extracts from an encyclopaedia parody wiki that is hosted by Wikia.
Mr. Julian Cheah
Teacher of English to Speakers of Other Languages
Education & Career Guidance Consultant
Member of the Oxford Teachers’ Club
Brainbench Certified Master of English Vocabulary and Spelling
Brainbench Certified Master of Computer Fundamentals
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