The new Ethnic Relations module, launched on Jan 24, should be drafted by a multi-racial team of academicians instead of one representing only a single race.

A prominent academician who declined to be named said this should be the correct way for the module project to be carried out.

"Since the module is to promote ethnic relations among all races, it is inappropriate that the module was written solely by Malay academicians.

"The module can only be drafted fairly if academicians from various ethnic groups participated in the drafting process, because the incidents (mentioned in the module) involved all ethnic groups," said the academician when contacted today.

He described the decision of the Higher Education Ministry to allow academicians virtually from one ethnic group in drafting the module as a poor one.

Biased facts

The latest module, drafted by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia's Malay World and Civilisation Institute director Dr Shamsul Amri Baharuddin, and his panel was accused to be Malay-oriented by the renowned academician.

Panel members were Prof Sabihah Osman from Universiti Sabah Malaysia, Prof Ramlah Adam from Universiti Malaya, Prof Firdaus Abdullah, director-general of Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) and Prof Latiff Samian from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.

The academician also alleged that facts in the module was biased in that it was promoting Malay heritage and not that of other races in the country.

The Ethnic Relations module was first introduced last year as a compulsory subject for first-year university students. The module drew flak from various groups due to some of its contents.