I used to work in a Malaysian university on contract. I worked in research dealing with stem cells but left after three years despite an offer of renewal for another two years. I am a Chinese Malaysian who now has spent nearly 20 years overseas in some of the big-name universities in Australia and the UK.

After observing the system from the inside, I can tell you that Malaysian universities will not improve and whatever improvements you see will not last. I will set out my reasons.

1. Academic staff are not hired on merit.

Those that are hired are also largely from one ethnic group. The others are hired on contract. It does not take a genius to know that if you don't put people on tenure, they will not give their best.

One day, I asked a deputy vice-chancellor why there are so few non-Malay staff on tenure. I was surprised when he told me directly that there was an 'unofficial quota'. He further told me that there is a lot of resistance from the junior Malay staff when non-Malays came in because they perceived the non-Malays to be better researchers and academics.

He also told me that good non-Malay staff go overseas, especially to Singapore, so they do not want to 'waste their time in trying to hire' non-Malay staff.

2. No research culture since promotion is not based on research.

Despite all the talk by the ministers, there is no research culture in local universities. In fact, most local academics are not interested in research. A few of the academics told me straight in the face that they like group or cluster research because it is easier. They don't go for excellence or individual research. They also tell me that promotion is based on administrative work and 'cables' to the minister or vice-chancellor.

In fact, a few of them tell me that good researchers are punished by the whole group because they make the others look bad or lazy. Thus, no matter how good you are when you join, by putting you in a 'research group' they are slowing you down. Before you know it, you become part of the group culture.

At the university where I was working, the VC or DVC had not published a single paper in an international referred journal. Except for one DVC, the VC and the other DVC did not even have a single book to their name.

There are many more things I want to say but this are these are the two main reasons why Malaysian universities have little hope of ever being world class. As long as everything is based on race and not on merit, I cannot see a way out.