14/3/11 MALAYSIAN KINDY UNIVERSITIES

In 1998, upon my returned from my postgrad study, I was excited to hear the building up of Kota Samarahan into a City University. Within the perimeter of the so called intended University City, the University of Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), Univeristy Technology of MARA (UiTM), and as well as the Tun Abdul Razak Teacher College were aggressively being expanded. Nonetheless, in one of the State Cabinet(?) meeting, I was informed that the Chief Minister was not happy with the performace of Kota Samarahan growth. He instructed a review of the City development. It seem to fail to grow into the so called University City. The universities, though had housed about 10,000 students with at least 2,000 employees had not able to impact positively for the expansion of Kota Samarahan township.

(2) Couple of day ago, Tun Mahathir Mohammed pondered the idea for the failure of our universities establisment to create an impact for the local cities growth.

(3) To have an understanding of the issue, let us see how our universities being established: locality choice. Let begin with the oldest, ie University of Malaya (MU) in Lembah Pantai. The choice of site was in Lembah Pantai. It is in the Lembah (Valley) but no Pantai (beach). Topographically, there is a clear limitation growth be it for the university or even a township. MU growth could only be facilitated within the limited 'valley'. But, comparatively, let look at how did Michigan Institute of Technology (MIT), Harvard, Cambridge, Berlin, Otago, etc beinmg established. In general those univeristies take advantage of their natural surrounding ie rivers, lake, sea front, large scenic plain, etc.

(4) In the case of MU, there is no chance for an emergence of a City within the MU pheriphery. The campus is surrounded by steep hills and to my observation is most suitable for residential development. A township can't grow out of such topography. Only the Aztec or Nepalist built cities on mountain ridges. Though the temporary campus of National University (UKM), Lembah Pantai Teacher College and Institute Bahasa (IB) were just at the outskirt of MU campus, all those doesn't gave a city development impact. Petaling Jaya township, the nearest city, was developmed and expand not within the MU vacinity but a distance away. Why?

(5) Now let move to Serdang Agriculture University (UPM). It was earlier on, planted far deep in nowhere. Same goes with the National University (UKM) in Bangi, Science University of Penang (USM), University of Technology (UTM) Skudai Johor. All were planted in isolated area, bounded by hilly terrain and conservation forest.

(6) University Malaysia Sabah, was posted, though on scenic location, but sited right on top of the hill in the outer Kota Kinabalu, with the Highway, South China Sea and the Mangrove area as the natural boundaries. Same goes with University Malaysia Sarawak, planted right in the middle of the peat and mangrove areas.

(7) Judging from the site selection basis, it seem always in the mind of universities developer that Malaysian Public Universities must have exclusive environment. This exclusivity location, probably was influenced by the so called students movement of the sixties especially in Indonesia, Thailand, and Philipines where, the students seem to have all the advantage to topple the Government if they are aggregated within a city. This was particularly so, in the case of MU and UKM in the 1970s. These two universities must not sit side-by-side, a political sucidal.

(8) But now as our economy becoming resource scare, and moving away from production to service oriented, we began to question why is that our universities are not able to generate the so called service oriented economies. Our universities do not give birth to city development.

(9) This is very much different if one looks at the impact of universities, say in America. I remember Cyenne in Wyoming, the State University there really influences the development of the city. Same goes to University of Boulder in Boulder Colorado, Golden School of Mine in Golden, and University of Colorado at Fort Collin. Of course Dr. Mahathir mentioned such other universities as Oxford, Havard, Cornell, Cambridge, etc. If one care to look at the birth of universities in German, the impact of the universities establishment on the cities growth is wonderfull.

(10) My simple analysis of UNIMAS, UiTM Samarahan and Tun Razak College existence; we seem to continue to treat our universities grad as kids. These 'kids' must remain protected, and fenced against whatever elements that we 'believe' could harm them. Today parents, seem not to trust their 'kids', as compared to long ago parents, whom seem 'didn't care' about their kids. Therefore, within the campus, we provide everything that the students need; from hostels, cafes, laundries, convinient stores, bookstores, statinaries outlets, clinic, and all sort. Private participation to provide these facilities are denied or minimised. We in fact are building 'Jail Structured Universities'.

(11) Even worst, all the facilities within the universities despite being funded by the public are exclusively only to serve the students. The library, the playground, and many others are built and only main for the students. The universities are fenced up. Strong and strict guards are placed at the entrance.

(12) The consequences, not only the universities are not able to spur the local properties and service sectors development, thus denying the development of local University City, but the Malaysian Public Universities to me are just an Adulthood Kindy. A Kindy Campus. May fro such iinspiration, thus Rosmah Mansor established the first Permata School right in the UKM Campus, to reaffirm my notion that our universities are just another Kindy, to 'keep' our kids 'to grow' not to matured!

(13) While we are worried about the social-IQ judgmenet of our students, say if we practiced 'open universities development concept', now, due to our 'over protection' of our universities students, we are producing massive of socially not ready graduates. Their social-IQ, not only not improving, but, not maturing as well.

(14) Back to Kota Samarahan issue, somewhere around May 1999, I prepared a briefing notes to the Chief Minister which among others criticed the Kota Samarahan Urban Plan, whereby elements of Push and Pull Urban Growth factors were not being properly considered. The City Plan constituted of numerous Urban Fabrics that seem each and every development were and to be done in isolation of the others. A development without a Network; Connectivity!

(15) Education Centers were built in isolation of the Population Center, Employment Center, Business Center, and Recreational Centers. Connectivity to these centers were not well concieved. All were because, Education Centers development were Federal Government matters, while the others were State matters. To me, there is a serious Federalism Conceptual missunderstanding. Today if ones travels to Kota Samarahan, one could easily sees how all the public institutions are built as not 'public properties', but as 'fortress entities', that again doesn't contribute to business friendly environment to the local.

(16) I wonder, the lecturers especially those who are dealing with Development Studies had been shuting their eyes, and closing their heart, or even worst, dumb their mind, despite these Planning weaknesses are right on their footstep! I wonder why, I wonder how? Probably: Gajah terkangkang depan mata tak nampak, kuman sembunyi di seberang pagar gagah didongkeli!

(17) Today and yesterday, I was lucky to make my view clear with regard to the Planning of Darul Hana, Kuching and Kg. Dato, Sibu, among the city planners. I ponder the idea of providing 'Universities or Colleges Facilities' within the neighborhhood, but keeping those facilities to basic ie confining to lectures classroom, laboratories, halls, and administrative facilities, while other faclilities should be left for the neighborhood to take up. The Universities or Colleges Campus must be made public; not fenced up. The universities and or colleges must co-exist with the neighborhood. I hope, and I pray, the dream could be realised.

Matang Jaya, Kuching, Sarawak
30 March, 2011