Salbiah Ahmad's piece entitled, Which choice for the students?

, is not only interesting but should also serve as a wake-up call to all concerned academics, parents and students.

Unless the deliberate policy of the government to stifle independent thinking among students is arrested, the country will eventually pay a high price of having a future generation that is generally incapable of critical thinking and of facing the challenges of a globalising environment.

If the students in local universities appear to be less alert intellectually, a big chunk of the blame should go to the government and the campus authorities. This is because they are the ones who zealously apply the Universities and University Colleges Act and the recent Akujanji against the students (and academics) with the main intention of curbing criticisms from students.

How do we expect the students to progress intellectually when there are varsity administrators who are more concerned about, for instance, how the students dress, thereby glamourising form over substance?

And recently, there was a report of the Penang state government expressing concern about certain Universiti Sains Malaysia students who were allegedly inciting 'hatred' against government leaders. I wouldn't be surprised if the so-called 'hatred' claimed by the state leaders actually refers to the critical attitude of the students towards government leaders. In other words, the authorities instead expect these students to heap praise on the government leaders, not criticisms. Of course, it's okay to attack the opposition; that's not inciting hatred against opposition leaders.

Another hypocrisy that needs to be highlighted is that government leaders and their agents on campus, i.e. vice-chancellors, always remind students to concentrate on their studies, and not to meddle in politics especially party politics. It is as if politics, in the widest sense of the word, doesn't belong to the students at all. And yet, Umno can set up a number of its clubs overseas and encourage students there to join them.

Local university students should protest against this unequal treatment, and also for having been treated as if they are immature, if not imbecile.

Unless this problem is addressed seriously and honestly, it's best that the government and campus authorities to shut their mouths up from spewing hollow words such as 'academic excellence' and 'spirit of competitiveness'. It's really disgusting when you come to think of it, especially when the country is supposed to have gained independence 45 years ago.