Higher learning institutions are the last bastions to shape the minds of our leaders of tomorrow. You can bet that almost every organisation or political party would want to instil and inculcate their own ideas, beliefs and methodologies in those young intelligent minds. So its no surprise that Umno now wants to establish its own university , where competing political ideas are shut out.

University colleges are where aspiring future leaders develop their networking skills and contacts their 'know-who' as well as their knowhow. By establishing Universiti Umno, its politicians are taking steps to clone themselves to create a group of elite ruling Malays (after all, only Malays can join Umno), a cut above the rest.

The blue blood ruling class of Malay politicians want to perpetuate their legacy into the next millennium. This Universiti Umno will be like an Ivy League university, much like some Democrat or Republican affiliated universities in the US. A good model to follow.

As far as I know, all government-funded universities in Malaysia are already controlled by the government, albeit not directly. Lecturers at universities are not allowed to be involved with opposition parties, and they have to sign the 'Aku Janji' letters, pledging loyalty to the government. Student politics are dominated by pro-government councils , those who are even slightly critical of the government risk their funding cut off.

This is the methodology that has been used by the government to stifle dissent and criticism at universities. That's why our graduates are a sorry lot; they don't have their own opinion, they're incapable of expressing themselves and can only be a 'Pak Turut'.

I am of the opinion that if the Umno leadership wants their own university, let them have it but using their own money of course. Let them raise the funds, set the curriculum etc the whole works.

There is nothing wrong with investing money in higher education, because education broadens minds, improves skills and widens our marketability in the job market. A highly educated workforce tends to be more competitive and is able to handle new technology easily.

However, I would oppose to this idea of Universiti Umno if the funding for it were from government coffers. We have heard enough of under-funded universities already, without adding another one.

That money could be better spent maximising the potential and enrolment of our current universities and funding the Higher Education Loan Fund (PTPTN). Haven't we heard enough about starving students on a diet of instant noodles? We would be better off allocating more funds to the existing universities instead of building a new one.

If we think that providing more funds for Higher Education Loan Fundis like throwing good money after bad , we are wrong. Government loans like that are like deferred taxation. The fact that the borrowers can hardly pay back their loans because of unemployment, low income or outright refusal can be handled differently. I would suggest that Inland Revenue Board be given the task to collect the loans as a percentage of declared income, just like income tax.

Let's not confuse the honest setting-up of a university, college, school, kindergarten or madrasah to educate our children and our disdain for yet another money-grabbing venture by the elite ruling class. (Imagine the amount of contracts that would be given out to UMNO affiliated contractors for the university.)

Has Umno explained how it is going to finance this university? I hope not from the government's or Petronas' coffers.