From the choice of vice-chancellors to efforts to determine the outcome of university campus elections, universities in Malaysia serve as the training ground for the larger milieu of election corruption, abuses and money politics, an opposition leader said today.

The present run-up to campus elections, due to be held later this month or early next month, is already marred by complaints of intimidation, vote-buying and unfair election practices and rules, said DAP leader Lim Kit Siang.

Commenting on the state of university politics, Lim compares the selection of vice-chancellors in the country to the selection process in 2003 at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore of its choice as NTU president.

The university had embarked on a global search for candidates before short-listing the nominees to 150 persons, said Lim.

Among them was Dr Su Guaning, who had received his early primary education in Muar, and later earned a Master's and PhD at California Institute of Technology and his PhD in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University as President's Scholar and Colombo Plan Scholar.

After his training, he led the growth and restructuring of Singapore's Defence Science Organisation into DSO National Laboratories.

Upon unanimous endorsement and support by the University Council and the Academic Board of NTU, of which its deans, vice-deans, heads of divisions, upper echelons of NTU administration and full professors are members, they finally decided upon Dr Su Guaning to be president.

In government control

"Now consider how this selection process compares with Malaysia's higher education minister "combing the civil service list for the most politically loyal and subservient candidate for the post."

"It is most deplorable that currently the top criteria for the selection of vice-chancellor and deputy vice-chancellors is not scholastic eminence or intellectual leadership but political loyalty, (and) subservience," said Lim.

The choice of university leadership also hinges, claimed Lim on the candidates' willingness "and preparedness by hook or by crook to ensure that 'pro-government' students control all student organisations."

In spite of calls for academic excellence and innovation, such actions would only serve to produce "a completely submissive and servile student population devoid of critical thought or social awareness," he added.

The opposition leader called for observer teams by members of Parliament, civil society, the National Institute of Integrity and the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia to ensure free, fair and clean student campus elections to build the foundation for a nation of integrity.