Oleh/By : DATO' SERI DR. MAHATHIR BIN MOHAMAD
Tempat/Venue : KOLEJ ANTARABANGSA, PENANG
Tarikh/Date : 19/07/94
Tajuk/Title : THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF
KOLEJ ANTARABANGSA
I am honoured and delighted to have this opportunity to
be with you on this auspicious occasion. The opening of
Kolej Antarabangsa is both apt and timely as Malaysia
aspires towards becoming a centre of education in the
region.
2. Never before has the history of education in Malaysia
been as exciting as in this last decade of the 20th century.
We are witnessing a phase of educational growth that seeks
not only to serve local needs but also to cater to
international demand. What is happening to the education
scene currently mirrors the direction the country is taking.
We have for the past decade or so developed and put into
action a strategy to play a more active role in the
international scene. Be it politics, economics, commerce or
culture, we want not only to share our experiences with
others but also to learn from them as well. We believe that
a nation can learn a lot from other nations. And in this
respect we all have become interdependent.
3. The demand for education is also increasing as
countries acknowledge that education and human resources
development are the cornerstones of national development.
This is in stark contrast with the situation 20 years ago
when most parents would have considered that they had
fulfilled their responsibility for educating their children
if they had reached School Certificate level. Even in those
days, the Government-funded institutions of higher learning
were not able to meet the demand and many thousands of
youngsters had to go abroad for higher education. This was
not considered to be very serious then because education
overseas in those days was comparatively cheap.
4. All this has changed dramatically over the last decade
or so. The countries to which we traditionally send our
students have realised that they could capitalise on the
overwhelming demand of a highly profit-motivated industry.
In fact, we know that many a faculty in foreign universities
depend for their survival and development on the number of
foreign students that they are able to attract.
5. For our part, to meet with the increasing demand for
education, the Government has plans to build more
universities, more polytechnics and other training
institutions. However, the Government working on its own
will not be able to meet the demand which we anticipate will
increase manifold as we march towards the Year 2020.
Therefore, the role of the private education sector becomes
important. Private education can complement efforts of the
public sector in striving to provide education for our youth
and others. Given that all sectors are inextricably bound
together, the integrated approach perhaps represents the
best strategy to meet the challenge. The concept of
Malaysia Incorporated can be applied to the education
system. Both the public and private sectors must work
together to develop an education system which can take the
best from both worlds. For this, it is essential that the
private sector understands the aims and objectives of the
Ministry of Education. Bound by a shared vision and mission
both sectors can then not only avoid duplication of efforts
and dissipation of energies but can work collaboratively
towards a single purpose.
6. It is a truism that the more dynamic the pace of
modernisation in a country, the greater will be its need for
new technologies. The truth is that the bulk of technology
transfers takes place between developed nations and only a
small trickle finds its way to developing nations. This may
be because we have not prepared our people well for the
transfer to be facilitated. One of the objectives of
education is to prepare the potential recipients for the
transfer of technology.
7. In the last two decades, countries in the region have
been busy re-examining their respective education systems in
preparation for the dawn of the 21st century. Reforms have
been instituted on almost all fronts of the education
enterprise and the push for science and technology has
inevitably shaped the face of many education systems.
Reforms have been drastic particularly in terms of
curriculum and content which have affected not only
education at the tertiary level but also at the primary and
secondary levels of schooling.
8. The proliferation of private education institutions in
the country can cater not only to local needs but also to
foreign demand. However, a word of caution at this point
may be appropriate. We do not advocate the provision of a
smorgasboard of courses of study regardless of whether or
not they can contribute to the aspirations of the nation.
We have to firmly keep in mind that Vision 2020 seeks to
create a society based on science and technology. In this
respect therefore, there is a need to be selective in the
courses that are offered by educational institutions. There
is too often a temptation to offer popular courses in order
to attract students. Already the Government-funded
institutions are able to supply more than the country's
needs in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. It would
be worthwhile for private education institutions to seek
areas that have not been explored. Such areas should
include aeronautics, materials and their properties,
production technology, computer-aided design, machining and
manufacturing. The provision of such courses will go a long
way towards enabling Malaysia to carve a niche in the
highly competitive education industry. Besides they are
relevant to the Malaysian industrialisation programme.
9. At this moment, we are poised to make Malaysia the
region's centre of education. Various strategies are being
proposed to make for a smooth passage. For example,
proposals touching on amendments with regard to higher
education are being studied to allow for the setting up of
branch campuses of reputed foreign universities in the
country. Regulations regarding entry and visa requirements
for foreign students are also being simplified. A National
Accreditations Board is also being set up to ensure that the
credentials of institutions have international acceptance
and recognition in other countries. All in all, what
Malaysia should be offering is quality education at reduced
cost.
10. In this respect, the setting up of the Kolej
Antarabangsa marks a milestone in the history of education
in the country. We hope that our push to maintain high
standards and ensure quality education will be constantly
subscribed to by the centre. We must be rigorous with
regard to standards if we are to maintain the reputation of
being providers of quality education. Our credibility must
not be undermined. We are aware that if we are not
sufficiently vigilant, there is the temptation that in the
pursuit of quick profits, dubious arrangements will be
resorted to and certificate mills will be set up. The
behaviour of a few can undermine the credibility of the
whole nation. The whole education industry will be brought
into disrepute with subsequent loss to everyone. Let me
warn everyone that the government will come down hard on
those who compromise standards in the pursuit of quick
profits.
11. Hitherto, education has been the major preserve of
governments. But now in this fast-changing world, the
efforts of the government must be complemented by the
private sector. The major thrust of educational policy in
Malaysia is to prepare our young people for jobs in a modern
industrial society. We require skilled workers, artisans,
craftsmen, commercial workers, technicians and skilled
managers as the working base of our population. We expect
schools, vocational institutes and private education
establishments to produce them in sufficient numbers. In
addition, we still require increasing numbers of engineers,
doctors, dentists, economists and accountants.
12. Education must be total. If a qualified person is to
be productive he must have the necessary ethics. He must
know his responsibility to himself, to the community and to
the nation. He must know that his skill can only earn him
an income if the society in which he lives and work is
stable and prosperous. Since he benefits from society he
must also contribute towards the well-being of that society.
It is only when he understands the role he plays and its
relevance to society that he can contribute fully to his
work -- he can acquire the necessary work ethics and be
maximally productive.
13. Presently schools and other educational institutions
pay little attention to imparting the right moral and
ethical values. As a result our society is less productive.
It is time that this aspect of education be made a major
target of all institutions.
14. Kolej Antarabangsa faces the challenge of being able to
develop programmes and course content that are current to
and in line with the direction of industrial development in
Malaysia. It is no easy task, but I believe that with the
contribution of its personnel and its various partners,
Kolej Antarabangsa will be able to achieve the required
objectives.
15. On that note, it is with pleasure that I declare open
Kolej Antarabangsa and wish the management, staff and
students every success in their endeavour.
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