KUALA LUMPUR: The Higher Education Ministry must end the old bureaucratic system of deciding priorities on behalf of universities, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
In his keynote address during the launch of 2024 Global Intellectual Discourse held in Universiti Malaya today, Anwar said the decision would allow universities in the country to expand and render the education discourse in the future.
"I previously instructed the ministry to allow universities to expand by giving them space to decide their priorities.
"However, the old system of bureaucracies for the ministry to decide on behalf of universities (administration) must end now.
"I am suggesting this because of the urgency and recognising the fact that we will be left behind in some areas (in the education sector) if we are complacent with the normal pace (we are in)," he said.
Also in attendance were the prime minister's wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir and Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil.
Anwar, at the same time, also urged the ministry to implement clear policies and measures to allow the higher education sector in the country to improve moving forward.
"I want some measures and core implementation to be done this year (in the education sector).
"I am also encouraging universities to expand certain programmes, particularly in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) study and then (universities) can probably do more in several years.
"Yes, we do not have enough resources but whatever is available (to us) must be done now."
Last week, Anwar reportedly had said that the leadership of institutions of higher learning must be given space to create new ideas for the country's education sector.
The prime minister said such a move was imperative to ensure that these institutions could compete at the regional and global levels, consequently producing graduates high quality graduates.