TOP 10 UNIVERSITIES IN SEA.

Dear Editor,

According to Webometric Ranking of World Universities, the Top 10 universities in South-East of Asia are;

1. National University Of Singapore

2. Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

3. Kasetsart University, Thailand

4. Chulalongkorn University, Thailand

5. Prince Of Songkla University, Thailand

6. Asian Institute Of Technology Thailand

7. Chiang Mai University, Thailand

8. Thammasat University, Thailand

9. Assumption University Of Thailand

10. Khon Kaen University, Thailand

Out of the top 10 ranking South East Asia universities, 2 are from Singapor , and the balance 8 universities are from Thailand . Also, on the Top 100 list, Thailand has 41 universities, Myanmar 18, Indonesia 14, Philippines 13, and Singapore 7.

In Asia, the Top 10 universities are :

1. University Of Tokyo

2. National Taiwan University

3. Kyoto University

4. Beijing University

5. Keio University

6. National University Of Singapore

7. University Of Hong Kong

8. Chinese University Of Hong Kong

9. National Chiao Tung University

10. Nagoya University

Out of the Top 10 ranking universities in ASIA, 4 are from Japan, 5 are from China, and the remaining 1 is from Singapore. We are also nowhere near the Top 100 universities in Asia. In terms of Global Ranking, None of Malaysia 's universities are anywhere near the TOP 1,000 universities.

Well, the fact speaks for itself! Thailand, Myanmar, Indonesia, Philippines, and Singapore are way ahead of Malaysia. Despite all our constant shouting of Malaysia boleh this and that, and all the emotional rhetoric of ‘Syok Sendiri’ and self denials, we are already an academic backwaters nation in South East Asia , I shake my head!.

I have always personally railed against Man's dependency on numeric evidence as proof of superiority but before I get too ahead with this argument, let me explain.

'Numeric evidence' means the use of numbers to represent one's status. If you have RM500,000 and I have RM100, you are wealthier than I or so the numeric evidence suggests. If you have a 5-litre engine motorcar, it is definitely a better car than my 1.6-litre car or so the numeric evidence suggests.

If you have 10 titles bestowed on your life by the Sultan and the King, you are most assuredly a better person than most of us are. And so it goes that if a student scores an exemplary number of distinctions (A's in Malaysia) in a public exam, he/she is considered the pinnacle of what the country's education system is capable of producing. He/she is expected to go through tertiary education anywhere in the world with flushing success. So what could possibly have happened if she fails abroad?

Malaysia's education system has always been a laughing stock. Based purely on numeric superiority and mindless rote learning methods that even the British has long abandoned decades earlier, Malaysia continues to believe that the more A's a student attains, the better equipped he/she is.

It doesn't matter how he/she gets the A's so long as the aim is to get them and get as many in the process. So if the student were to labour over numerous past year exam papers in the library, memorise the answers and focus only on what the teacher 'suggests' are likely to come out for the exam, that's alright by everyone.

The education system doesn't teach the students to UNDERSTAND the material. It doesn't encourage proactive teaching methods that encourage students to discover knowledge but to merely be taught.

When a student with 17 Distinctions fail in the real world, it is not a surprise. Perhaps it is to many Malaysians, but it's a system that is waiting to reward its students with spectacular failure when they leave the shores and compete overseas or when they enter the workforce.

Many organisations in the private sector have continued to be horrified at the performance of such students during interviews. Communication skills are absent. Standard ethics are absent. Common courtesy codes are absent. Presentation skills as well as personal grooming are absent. What has the education system taught them?

If Malaysia continue to embark on the road of plain numeric superiority instead of to challenge the students to think, provoke them to create their own opinions and to communicate expressively, to eloquently define their standing in the world, there can never be an international leader in any field or industry emanating from Malaysia. It never produced one in the last 20 years. It never will for the next 100 years.

The Failure of Nur Amalina (who scored 17As)

I was really shocked and speechless to be informed about Nur Amalina Che Bakri.

Nur Amalina had held briefly the record of the most A's scored in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia. Upon the announcement of results of SPM 2004 on 26 March 2005, she received 17 1As - a record for number of A's received by a student in the history of Malaysian education back then. She was sponsored by Bank Negara Malaysia to study medicine in the United Kingdom, and did her A-levels at the Cheltenham Ladies College in the UK.

Now I am informed that she had failed her second year medical study at the University of Edinburgh. I really hope this is not true, if it is, what went wrong?

Could English language be the problem? We are going back to Malay medium again and that means trouble.

Maths & Science in English please! Life is a bunch of experiences and I am going to make it as incredible as possible.

Best Regards,

LESLIE LOKE CHING THIN