The New Paper
YOU are biased against women.
That charge against the Malaysian ministry in charge of higher education comes from the former vice-chancellor of the country's oldest university, Universiti Malaya.
Datuk Rafiah Salim, who was the first woman to head a public university in Malaysia, said she was sacked just 48 hours before her term ended.
She was appointed in May 2006.
'Just because we are women so we are not good,' she told news website Malaysiakini. The popular website which offers alternative news and views has attracted its fair share of controversy.
'It's so sad because there is a ministry in charge of higher education and you'd expect them to be more liberal and advanced in their thinking,' the 61-year-old former law lecturer and former Bank Negara assistant governor said.
Ms Rafiah told Malaysiakini that she recently learnt that the women vice-chancellors were only given a two-year contract while male vice-chancellors were given a three-year contract. This included her successor Professor Dr Ghauth Jasmon.
'Doesn't this (show they are) more confident in men than in women?' she asked.
She is also very upset with Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Idris Haron whom she claimed insinuated in parliament that she had a poor track record, the Star newspaper reported.
'Idris should not have undermined me by implying that they needed someone with a track record and who was high-performing, implying that I was not,' said Ms Rafiah, in reference to the appointment of her successor, Prof Ghauth.
Mr Idris, who denied the claim, had earlier said in parliament that UM needed someone with a high level of performance who could elevate the university's status. He said Prof Ghauth had vast experience in public universities and had built up the Multimedia University. Prof Ghauth was appointed to a three-year term to head UM on 8 Nov.
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Former national unity and social development minister Napsiah Omar also expressed her displeasure over the decision to sack Ms Rafiah.
She hit out at women leaders for not speaking up for Rafiah.
The Wanita Umno permanent chairman described Ms Rafiah as a woman of substance and supported her re-appointment.
Defending her two-and-a-half year term at UM, Ms Rafiah said the transformation plan she laid out for the university was on track and one example was that she has successfully increased the number of UM publications from 3,300 three years ago to 5,882 as of June this year.
But the university's performance kept sliding, from 192th ranking in the Times Higher Education Supplement in 2006 to 245th ranking last year, reported the New Straits Times.
But Ms Rafiah pointed out that the university has managed to climb back to 230 this year.
'When were just about to come up, they stop me,' she told Malaysiakini.
Despite her anger, Ms Rafiah denied she was bitter and said it was the ministry's choice to chose who they want.
'They have a right to appoint a monkey if they want,' she said.
Ms Rafiah also stressed that she was not interested in seeking reinstatement to the post.
'I am not interested in reinstatement. I am not interested in the job any more, I have moved on. I have booked my holiday to see my grandchildren and I have started my book...'
She also questioned the transparency of the system.
'The system is flawed, he (Higher Education Minister Khaled Nordin) talks of transparency... what transparency? Was it advertised? What are the criteria? Do any of us know the criteria they are looking for?' she said.
'Stop this debate'
Mr Khaled, who was Ms Rafiah's student when the latter was a UM law lecturer, has called for the debate over the controversy to stop.
The minister also stressed that the appointment was made according to procedures.
He said three months prior to the end of a vice-chancellor's term, the ministry would form a search committee.
The committee is made up of experienced and prominent figures in higher education, he said .
It evaluated the performance and if the performance was up to expectations, the committee could recommend an extension of contract.
'If the committee is not satisfied with the VC's performance, they have the task of finding a new candidate,' he said.
'The committee's decisions are highly respected and the ministry never or rarely disputes them'.
This article was first published in The New Paper on Nov 18, 2008.
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