Parliamentarians turned their attention to the research and development (R&D) capacity of tertiary institutions, seeking answers as to why universities have not produced research of quality.

Deputy Higher Education Minister Fu Ah Kiow conceded that such capacity should be enhanced, saying that insufficient allocation of funds has held back research work.

He said RM100 million had been allocated for basic research under the Eighth Malaysia Plan, and that the ministry has proposed to increase this to RM300 million.

Fu said steps to improve the quality of R&D include incentives to lecturers to conduct research. An online database will be proposed to make local research more accessible.

Parliamentary Opposition leader Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timur) asked if the deputy minister could name any vice-chancellor of a public university who is capable of producing quality research.

He commented that academic positions should be filled based on academic qualifications of candidates and not political considerations.

Fu did not name any vice-chancellor, but clarified that all lecturers, deans and vice-chancellors are appointed based on certain guidelines.

Lim also pointed out universities have been curtailing full freedom in that they do not allow the opportunity to criticise the government in print.

"This shows that the culture of excellence in education will have to be corrected (if we are) to be on par with international universities," he said.

Dr James Dawos Mamit (BN-Mambong) suggested that the government should look into encouraging contributions by the private and industrial sectors to boost research funding.

Mohd Sarit Haji Yusoh (BN-Temerloh) noted that the government should emphasise R&D in taking Malaysia forward to developed status.

"If our universities do not have (quality) research, there is no need to have universities," he remarked.

He urged the ministry to conduct a detailed study on why universities are not advanced in research.

Ratings questioned

On the ratings achieved by public universities, Razali Ismail (BN-Kuala Terengganu) said the ministry should look into "human development as a whole...(including) intellectual activism".

Universiti Malaya (UM) was ranked 89th and Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) 111th among the 200 best universities in the world last year.

The selection was made by the UK-based The Times Higher Education Supplement, based on criteria such as peer review, citation and research, lecturer-student ratio, number of foreign staff and number of foreign students.

DAP's Lim reminded the government not to be complacent over the ratings of UM and USM.

"(Being rated 89 is not good enough...(they) should be ashamed, not proud," he added.

Fu replied that the government was not being complacent, and that it would continue giving encouragement "and credit where deserved".

To ensure that public universities meet universally accepted criteria, the government has focused on upgrading expertise as well as the percentage of post-graduate and post-doctoral students.

It has also reviewed the administrative structure of public institutions by creating the post of deputy vice-chancellor or vice-rector, to look into international activities.