Syed Saddiq suggests removing mandatory subjects to shorten tertiary education

Syed Saddiq in an interview | Source:The Edge

On 6 October, it was reported that Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman had brought up the lengthy duration of tertiary education in the parliament. He associated the lengthy duration in degree courses with mandatory subjects such as TITAS, ethnic relations and Malaysian Studies.

In a report by the University World news, it is revealed that these mandatory subjects were officially made compulsory for all universities in 2013 with the classes taking up to three hours per week.

A news article from Free Malaysia Today quoted Syed saying, “Most universities are cramming all these subjects at one time to meet the graduation timeline. Because of this, students don’t even have time to take part in what they are passionate about.”

Puteri Sofia Binti Amirnuddin, Programme Director for Master of Laws programmes at Taylor’s said, “When we look at the current generation of learners, there are concerns with regards to their social and affective aspects when it comes to appreciation of other cultures, religion and way of living.

The aim of the compulsory modules is to inculcate civic responsibility and a sense of appreciation towards others.

By focusing purely on academic settings, it would limit the metacognitive skills when it comes to understanding why certain communities work in certain ways, and why religion is practiced in certain ways.”

World University news quoted Syed Sadiq saying, “Taking a degree in countries like Singapore, UK and Australia takes up to four years maximum whereas getting a degree in Malaysia takes up to six years including foundation and degree.”

The Muar MP suggests shortening the length of study so that the graduates would not lose two years of industry experience when competing in the international job market. He also mentioned that these mandatory subjects are not relevant to graduates’ careers.

A picture of Puteri Sofia Binti Amirnuddin | Source: Marketing in Asia

In response to the statement, Puteri shared that learning is a life-long process and that students should understand the relevance of the modules as it places an effect on their role in contributing to developing the industry and towards the nation.

“To me, we need to empower the students to look at the outcomes of the learning process where they become a holistic learner, interested to engage in social responsibility initiatives or even be part of global initiative in addressing issues highlighted by United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.”

Working is not all about getting a salary and making profits. Everything is interconnected, and things work well when there is a holistic ecosystem present,” she adds.

The Muar MP suggests giving students a choice to take subjects that they feel are relevant to their courses and career path. He calls out to the parliament to help students in the country to become quality graduates.