By Dr Maszlee Malik 

"Continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection." – Mark Twain

As usual, the Ministry of Higher Education has been keeping mum from coming up with any contingency plans for the students amid the pandemic ever since March. The minister only appeared to announce about the TikTok competition, announcing a short notice on the closing of IPT, making reversal (or rather U-turn) decisions, or only appearing to watch the buses sending the students back to their hometowns.

It is unfair to rely on MoHE's minister of the current government to come up with initiatives that had been done in the past 2018-2019. Besides the foal age of seven months, the pandemic has become a concrete reason to shield by for the stated ministry.

The question is, isn't there any efficient and ground-breaking initiatives for the students and academicians to preserve the higher education in sustaining intellectual culture even amid a pandemic?

It is generally known that COVID-19 has caused the closing of IPTs as a precaution for the safety and health of IPT denizens. It is commonly known that most lecturers had to cope with the usage of online platform to educate and interact with their students, but with the exception for certain courses. And it is commonly known that all students went through online tutoring sessions instead of physical classes in the lecture hall. Is that the only alternative step that have been taken? Isn't there any holistic contingency plan for both students and the lecturers?

It is certain that the campaigns 'Malaysia Membaca', 'Dekad Membaca Kebangsaan' and 'Read @Faculty' that were launched by the Ministry of Education last year, eventually become torpid and dimmed down. Isn't reading culture supposedly intensified during this pandemic as students and lecturers are unable to attend physical classes? Isn't there more spare time for the students as they are staying at home? Isn't the life of a student being synonymous with reading culture?

Aren't the libraries in IPTs unable to provide online book loaning and returning system to all the students forced to go back to their hometowns? Maybe there will be an extra cost incurred, however, that is the reason why the students are paying their fees. What is the point of paying those fees, yet they are unable to use the service provided as they were constrained by learning at home?

Aren't the national, state and district libraries incapable of providing a similar system to all the students that must learn at home? Geographically, aren't these libraries closer to their homes than the institutions? Didn't the MoHE think of this action in ensuring reading culture as the students' lifestyle during the pandemic.

No pain, no gain

I have been curious what is the fate of the 'Sasterawan @Faculty' program intended to publicize the national writers among IPTA denizens? Whether the fate of our National Laureates (Sasterawan Negara) has been swept aside due to the change of minister in MoHE?

If the Brits are proud of Shakespeare, India is proud of Tagore, and Latin Americans are proud of Marquez, Czech Republic is proud of Kafka, why our IPT denizens from a myriad of courses are not being introduced with the nation's writers and laureates in preserving our people and national identities? The joining forces of local universities with the collaboration of Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) and Terjemahan Buku Negara (ITBN) can entice the activities of our nation's writers through the online realm. I believe that our nation's writers are waiting for this kind of effort too.

Amid this pandemic, renowned universities from developed countries are busy providing short online courses. During MCO, I followed a couple of courses conducted by Durham University, London School of Economics, Manchester University and also Teeside University. I promoted these online courses through my social media platforms, especially on Twitter. Where are our MoHE and IPTs in this context?

If we are incapable of offering similar online courses like those universities, it is not impossible for IPTs to strategically and smartly venture together with those universities and promote the courses to our students and the public so that they will be interested to join in. If they are diligent, they can follow these paid programs which offer certificates and accreditations from those universities. There is no need for us to be like some of our politicians (and leaders) who bought their fake certificates online from questionable and every so often non-existent universities.

The least, a collaboration of MoHE with YouTube, Ed Talk, Khan Academy or any platform that offer online education materials is possible in supplementing teaching aids or being a part of learning materials accredited by IPTs and the Malaysian Qualification Agency (MQA). Relatively, MQA needs to be creative and think outside the box in this context. This situation that is being experienced by IPT denizens needs a solution and non-conventional intervention.

During the pandemic and amid staying at home, students are in dire need of moral support and be infused with motivation to learn. We have been served with a multitude of news regarding the mental crisis and stress that the students face as they learn from home. With the appearance of our Minister, the VC, TNC and the intellectuals, giving advices and brief pep talks to the students, regularly on MoHE website, or any avidly followed news portals are needed. Indonesian Kemendikbud (MOE) website should be looked upon in this matter.

The issue that may transpire is regarding internet connection for students living in suburban or rural areas. This matter is out of MoHE's grasp, amd is under MCMC, KPLB, KPKT and other agencies such as Felda, JKOA and others. MoHE can contact telecommunication companies to provide price cut or special packages for the students' internet connection during the pandemic. A fastidious deal is needed in ensuring that the students are not burdened with the high cost they have to pay to the telco in increasing their internet speed in warranting fast internet for the students and Malaysians as a whole.

There are more intellectual initiatives that can be done in safeguarding the students of IPT in warding off educational setbacks for them.

The main question is whether MoHE is ready to do it?

Or a more realistic question: where is our MoHE minister right now?

(Dr Maszlee Malik was Education Minister in the Pakatan Harapan government.)