I understand this topic has been discussed before but I would like to hear more feedback regarding this subject.

I have a Bachelor of Commerce(Hons) Accounting from UTAR and also a MSc Accounting and Finance from LSE.
I am currently working in London as a finance assistant sine 2008 June and plan to go back Malaysia and lecture.

Could anyone please comment on the salary I can expect from my profile??
Right now, I am more incline to join IPTS than IPTA since i do not hold a Phd.

Also can i know if lecturer's working hours is flexible and if lecturers are allowed to run their own business besides lecturing??

Thanks a lot.

Just look at your lecturer and u get part of the answer

I emailed them about the prospects but i dont think its good to ask about the salary part. That is why i posted here. Thanks a lot.

Oh i mean the flexible hrs and stuff.. about the salary how much is alot to u? different ppl will feel differently.. some need >10k and they will say alot some only need 6k

Would be grateful if someone could shed some lights on the expected salary part with regards to my profile. Thank you.

I'm 29 years old and would like to know about possible salary as lecturer at IPTS as well. I'm Electrical and Computer Engineering graduate.

My qualification
1. BEng (Hons) from Multimedia University, Malaysia (Top 3 students from the department and scholarships recipient)
2. MSc from University of Hong Kong (Top student, Gold medalist)
3. PhD from RMIT University, Australia (Scholarships from RMIT). During my PhD, I have published 15 publications in conferences (4 in top tier conferences) and journals (2 in top tier journals). The ranking of the conferences and journals are set by the Australian government as a measure to evaluate the quality of the publications throughout Australia. I don't think Malaysia has any ranking for the conferences and journals as I never see them publish in those top tier avenues.

My experience
I worked as lecturer at a college in malaysia for 5 months, an MNC for 5 months, and also 1 year of internship during undergraduate and postgraduate.

My possible offers
I receive offers from Japan and UK, though i'm considering contributing to my own country back home. Hope someone could shed some lights on lecturer salary at IPTS with the latest information.

For instance, in UK, I'm offered a full time three-year position as researcher and a part time tutoring job. After completing my research, they have agreed to provide 6,500 quid per year to fund my future research for the next 10 years. So, the total I receive within the next 10 years would be 65,000 quid equals RM357,500.

My questions
1. I wanted to know if my achievements are well recognised in malaysia, and being an above average achiever, does Malaysia provide any incentive like the UK or perk to promote brain gain?
2. What is the salary I get if I join an IPTS?
3. What are the incentives and perks?

This post has been edited by PhDExpert: Feb 27 2010, 07:49 AM

PhDExpert.. I respect you for thinking about our own country and wanting to contribute back. But one point is please dont compare overseas salary with malaysian ringgit. Its not fair to the country.

1. Malaysia will definitely recognise your achievements with all the gold medalist and stuff that you have when u go for interview. But atfer that its your future achievements which is being considered.

2. I think its around rm5-6k which is way less than UK or watever country but is a comfortable starting salary to live in Malaysia. If you have so much confidence in your own ability then Im sure you will reach prof status in no time and earn more than rm10k or possibly 20k.

3. Not sure lol

PhDExpert, how about being a technopreneur? You can solve one of the tough problems, e.g. DIY financial planning, effective portfolio optimization

Hello f4te,

Everyone in the country deserves respect from each other unless you are a slacker leeching the country I'm a modest person learning and researching my field most of the times, though I admit, after years of education, I hope my salary is not disappointing.

1. Yes, of course Malaysia is recognising my achievements. But, all I want is fair treatment among the lecturers. I'm of particular interest to know if

a. there is any discrimination/unfairness in research funding distribution.
b. there is any discrimination/unfairness in promotion.

This is because there is no transparency among the lecturers' qualification and publications in Malaysia. If you happened to visit the lecturers' homepage, you'll be disappointed with what they have. Either without or a list of low quality publications. This includes Head of Department of the School. In fact, I know some lecturers publish in a number of international conferences or journals that are commercialised. You pay, you publish. So, you could imagine the quality of the majority of the lecturers.

I would rather work at overseas if I could not secure any research funding though I'm working hard and had a top notch PhD.

2. I hope at least 6k for my first job, and subsequently earn RM20k per month. But then, the concern is job promotion. I hate if there is discrimination. After all the hard work, just because of discrimination, I could not be promoted.

After spending years at overseas, I view discrimination, be it positive or negative, as serious matter. So, I would appreciate if anyone could tell the situation in Malaysia. If there were discrimination in UK and Japan, I would not get a good deal from them, and this has proven to be false.

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Added on February 27, 2010, 11:21 amHaha... I gotta consult you about these: technopreneur, DIY financial planning, and effective portfolio optimization I'm learning to invest

This post has been edited by PhDExpert: Feb 27 2010, 11:21 AM

Yes, any takers?? Does it make any difference on the job offer if you hold a degree/master from a more recognised university?? and also if your result is better then will you be offered a better position??

I don't think there are that many lecturers or researchers on this forum. But I believe that the pay scales and salaries of government academics are standardized and can be found online. That would represent the minimum threshold.

Yes i think science people like us in this forum need to group up and form our own discussion... For our own sake

I remember reading a book called "I hate people".

Basically, one of the golden rules in the workplace is to blend into the situation.

Slowly then only you set goals to improve the present condition in the workplace.

So PHDExpert, before you secure any funding research or whatever, assess the situation first lor.

just to focus on this one.

if u're looking to start at RM6k, i believe that's reasonable. some IPTS would pay a little bit higher than that. however, the highest paid lecturer in malaysia that i know of up to this day only gets RM17k per month. that covers for both IPTA and IPTS.

just be aware that IPTA and IPTS are virtually two different worlds. IPTS would pay u higher, but they literally own u. IPTS hardly does any research, so they expect that u will dedicate 80% of ur time in classrooms and lecture halls. IPTAs on the other hand actually requires u to do research and publications as well as other academic ventures. teaching is only about 30% of ur total job. but u do get a generous degree of freedom in terms of ur work.

IPTS sounds good but I think the benefit of being government servant is better right Dr Azarimy.. because IPTA get more recognition compared to IPTS..thats what i think..

I wanted to know this too. That's in my list of questions:

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Added on February 28, 2010, 12:07 pmConsider a Poisson process, one person would not be able to ameliorate the situation. In other words, it does not take a single car to cause a traffic jam, but a host of cars. There are many writers that never substantiate their points of views.

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Added on February 28, 2010, 12:11 pmIn that case, I might target RM7,000 because I believe I'm an above average student as I hvae been honoured with medal and scholarships from overseas universities.

I believe IPTS like Monash and Nottingham are research based institution judging from their graduate schools. Correct me if I'm wrong.

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Added on February 28, 2010, 12:18 pmOn personal note, I think it is only fair if I am rewarded with higher salary:

1. Most PhDs in Malaysia are sponsored by public and private universities. They have spent the country high cost of education fees and living costs at overseas. In fact, I don't see why my salary of RM8,000 to RM10,000 per month being senseless because I never spend a single cent from Malaysia to pursue Phd. Getting a PhD scholarships from overseas is highly competitive.

2. Malaysia pays a lot to hire expatriate with strong foreign accent. Isn't it unfairness if Malaysia hire me as a normal lecturer?

3. I wonder if Malaysia understands how we at overseas feel about its unfair treatment.

This post has been edited by PhDExpert: Feb 28 2010, 12:26 PM

aside from salary, any other benefits of being a lecturer?

Man, your thinking is so strange. They're not hiring a student. They're hiring a researcher. That is a big distinction.

1. So, so strange. Nobody on the hiring panel gives a damn how much the country saved by not having to finance your studies, LOL!!!! LOL!!! Jesus.

2. It's intriguing to see how an academic reasons about the real world. It's amusing!

3. I'm sure lots of Malaysians are losing sleep over your sense of unjustice! LOL!

You have to get out of your I-ness. Me, me, I, I, should, should. It's not about you. They are the one with the money, they are the one who will make the decision, and nobody gives a damn about the sort of "fairness" as you see it. Nothing is as it "should" be. Things are as they are. It is up to you to be the sort of person they will want to hire over others like you. What are they looking for? Stop, for just this one moment in your life, to think about yourself and your cv. Think about them instead. The dean who has to fill a position. What would he want to see of a candidate to give his faculty/school more presence? Etc.

God, you're strange.

This post has been edited by kotmj: Feb 28 2010, 03:44 PM

Not strange until you understand the real situation in Malaysia.

I'm intrigued to learn Malaysia is hiring researcher while in fact the lecturers are not producing world class publication. I have been attending top tier conferences throughput the world, and let me tell I have never met any researcher from Malaysian universities so far. By top tier conferences, they are ranked among the best by US, Australia and Singapore. Ever wonder why those countries ranked well in the ivy league? Because they publish in top tier conferences and journals, while what the Malaysian universities have done so far? Nothing more than low ranked publications with high acceptance rate. To most Universities in UK, Australia and Singapore, these low ranked conferences and journals are money making avenue. you publish through paying high prices. This is a serious issue.

Malaysian universities are paying high prices to send students to study at overseas. The Singapore is targeting Harvard, MIT, Cambridge, Oxford and ivy league Unis, but where do the Malaysian Universities send their staffs to? I don't have to tell here.

Do you know each PhD student that Malaysian universities send to pursue at overseas cost more than RM300,000 for 3.5 to 5 years? So, where does this money come from? Those PhD students are university staffs! They receive salary and stipend for studying PhD at overseas!

For instance, each staff receives

RM4500 salary + benefits + bonus + US$2000 per month stipend at overseas + US10,000 per year school fees paid to the foreign University

Calculate yourself how much Malaysian universities spend to produce a PhD!

You don't shoot the blank without knowing the reality!

You never know the reality.

Mind you, lecturer without PhD is called tutor; while lecturer with PhD is called LECTURER. How many people from Malaysia have got a PhD if the Universities do not send their tutor staff overseas for PhD? Oh yeah, the dean has to think about the money for the lecturers to pursue PhD study. Otherwise, all they could hire are tutors. Or maybe hire from overseas as expatriate at much higher cost.

Hiring locals with PhD like me at slightly higher salary, say an additional RM1000 is fair and square. I never spend a single cent from the University to pursue my PhD.

My PhD is from RMIT in Australia. Getting scholarships from overseas to pursue PhD at Melbourne University is extraordinarily difficult, unless one get scholarships from Malaysia. I admit RMIT is NOT an ivy league, but getting an overseas scholarships is VERY competitive. I hope you see how hard for many of us have been struggling, and this should translate into higher salary in my job application as lecturer.

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Added on February 28, 2010, 4:58 pmAt overseas, lecturer with PhD can earns side income from various sources:

1. Basic salary as lecturer (about 32,000 quid per annum)
2. Consultation
3. Marking PhD thesis from other universities
4. Adjunct lecturer
5. Online tutor
6. Research funding. The lecturer can earn, say 10% of the research funding.
7. Patent

All in all, lecturers with a PhD at 30s could earn up to 40,000-50,000 quid per annum.

This post has been edited by PhDExpert: Feb 28 2010, 05:04 PM

I wasn't critiquing your qualifications which I'm sure is fantastic. I was surprised at how you were incredibly internally-focussed in your thinking. How hard something was to acquire is not necessarily a measure of its value in the eyes of others. Maybe it is. Maybe its not.

You mustn't go around thinking you're entitled to whatever you think you're entitled to. People hate that. OTHER people hate that. It is a lot more helpful to think what others might want, and how you can provide it. I'm asking you to transport yourself into the minds of others. You are unaccustomed to this mode of thinking.

Another thing you absolutely need to keep in mind of is the concept of sunk cost. Every textbook on microeconomics treats this, and there is a very good reason for this: It is non-intuitive. If a Uni has sunk a fortune into someone, they will likely prefer him over another candidate they have not invested in.

If the past achievements are considered as sunk cost, then why need brain gain? Better still, forget the past extraordinary experience, and also resume, right? Those achievements are not much valued in Malaysia, right?

Yes, there is no need to promote brain gain, the government and universities should fork out money themselves to groom its own PhD holders right?

Millions and billions of dollars have been invested, yet, I could hardly see any extraordinary research outcomes, is it right?

What lame excuses you have there

This post has been edited by PhDExpert: Feb 28 2010, 05:31 PM

I gave no excuses. I was merely depicting the way people think, especially when they are in groups.

No wonder Malaysia fails! This is definitely NOT the way in most developed country.

To be honest, with high quality publications, one could easily get a position at overseas. The problem is, in Malaysia, they don't even rank the conferences and journals! This is the MAJOR reason why we feel we are NOT appreciated as much as we do at overseas in Malaysia. With the kind of mentality that you have just depicted, you have really added salt to injury.

This post has been edited by PhDExpert: Feb 28 2010, 05:46 PM

Are you trying to find a job or are you here to lament the country's backwardness? You have to pick your priority man.

So, you mean if I want a job in Malaysia, I should never lament the country, but accept any form of discrimination and backwardness?

Look, what's your objective of working in Malaysia?

If you think this country is shortchanging you, you have 3 options
a) Leave, like most gutless ppl do.
b) Stay and attempt to make a difference.
c) Stay, but keep complaining without doing anything, and live most of ur life unhappy.

(edit, i added a 3rd option)

This post has been edited by ThanatosSwiftfire: Feb 28 2010, 05:48 PM

Yes. And take it up the ass and always swallow.

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Added on February 28, 2010, 5:51 pmI thought you wanted a lecturing position with good merit-based upward mobility at an excellent pay?

But now you seem intent on condemning the very people who are supposed to provide you with the above? They are not compatible goals, you know.

This post has been edited by kotmj: Feb 28 2010, 05:51 PM

a) Who is gutless? Malaysia or the developed countries? I demanded nothing more than the recognition that I enjoy at overseas.

b) I had mentioned about the Poisson process.

c) I don't live an unhappy life

Of course few people here appreciate quality, we're a long way from being a developed country. Your ranting on the internet about captain obvious things will not change them. That said, it's a free market. You are not being forced to work in Malaysia. If you believe you are better off elsewhere, you should do that. If you think you can do something about the problem, then do something about it.

We haven't seen any of your work so we can't tell how good you really are, despite your many claims. That doesn't help your case at all.

I have to agree with kotmj here.

This post has been edited by epic.engineer: Feb 28 2010, 06:04 PM

Malaysians have got used to swallowing the bitter pills? Nah... I'm not condemning here, but I understand you might have been enduring the plight

Do I appear condemning? What I have mentioned are normal practices in developed countries who appreciate human capital most. Is it too much for Malaysia to know the truth and have a sensible say on how to deal with it? Or should I say far be it for Malaysia to take up the normal practices in developed countries?

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Added on February 28, 2010, 6:02 pm1. The brain gain program is NOT in line with free market because of the extra perks and benefits.

2. Education is NOT a free market. It's a social sector that needs regular improvement from various bodies.

Sorry, I do not agree with your points.


This post has been edited by PhDExpert: Feb 28 2010, 06:02 PM

my dear PHDExpert,

it's true that everyone deserve to be paid based on what they can give back. but malaysia cant pay what u deserve simply because we lack the economic backing. IPTAs rely heavily on government funding to function while IPTS rely heavily on the students.

almost none of the universities are capable of sustaining themselves purely via academic research, despite having some of the leading experts in the world. we are here at IPTAs because we can contribute back to the country so that one day, whenever that will be, malaysia will be capable of paying PhD holders like u with equal salary as the developed countries. if u wanna join now, well, u gotta work hard just like the rest of us.

yes, it's a brain leak. but there are other things that the government has to maintain while we pull ourselves together.

Well, so if Malaysia REFUSES to give u that recognition, then what?


There's PRIVATE education, and PUBLIC education for a reason. PRIVATE education is motivated by profits, and that IS a free market.
Public education needs regular improvement, yes, I agree with you, but the point is, WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT IT? If' you're unhappy about it, why don't you be a politician?

PhDexpert, maybe you can tell us how the recruitment process for a lecturer looks like.

This must be one of the most amusing threads I've ever read....

PhdExpert, with all due respect to your qualifications and recognitions, bla bla bla... there are few things you have to remember, and remember them well you must in chasing your dream ;

1. This is Malaysia, not some other developed countries like you always mentioned previously. In fact, people could say you are contradicting yourself when you keep comparing those ivy leagues, conferences and what not, WITH what malaysian institutions had managed to offer as far. So, how can local institutions could compare with those ivy leagues in terms of salary/recognition/remuneration???

2. Based on your qualifications, you are smart... but I would say you have to be a bit more street smart, ie understanding the local market environment, understanding what your prospective employers are looking in you, and how you can match the expectations with your profile.. You may know A to Z, but what if you employer wants you to do A, and only willing to pay you to do A?

3. Nobody's here is telling you that you are wrong is seeking equal recognition on par with the qualification. They are all just saying that it might be a dream too far . Except for select few industries and some Fortune 100/500 MNC, everybody else has to swallow a bitter pill throughout their working career in malaysia. Ever wonder why is there so much publicity about brain drain in malaysia? Why people still leaving, working and taking residence somewhere else, if malaysia really value the human capital? People in malaysia are at a cross road, move out for better pay and lifestyle, or stay back due to family commitment, etc, etc.

4. Refer to point 2. There's a small matter of organization/office politic that you have to tread as well in almost everywhere in malaysia..

Neway, good luck.. remember, dont just be book smart, be street smart as well. It's valuable ingredient for survival..

PhdExpert seems to be overrun. I think he wont be visiting this thread again. Just in case he does, i have a neutral comment for him

Please stop comparing overseas with malaysia. We are not overseas. I already said it is not fair to compare between us and other country. You keep saying that you have gold medal and whatever stuff and seems to be very proud of that. I respect you for being able to achieve that as I know that it is not something anyone can achieve. If you have the confidence, do contribute to our country by being the person who will bring Malaysia to the so called top tier conferences. If everybody starts to compare and go overseas, malaysia will not stand a chance to advance. SOmebody has to initiate the process for better future

My 1 sen

Hey guys, I understand that in IPTA without a masters i could not be a lecturer. Hence in my case, I should join IPTS first, get some experience and get a phd and then join IPTA. Is this a good decision?? btw, i am doing my ACCA currently and still have 3 papers pending. Would taking up a professional qualification helps as a lecturer??

Also I have read a lot of threads in this forum that said there is no discrimination or quota of whatsoever in the hiring on lecturers and promotion. Hoever i just came across a very disturbing article and would like to share it here. Please give me some feedback. thanks a lot.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Why Public Malaysian Universities will Never Improve

by ex-researcher

I used to work in a Malaysian university holding a professorial post on contract. I could not be confirmed because I do not have a SPM (more later). I worked in research dealing with stem cells but left after 3 years despite the offer of renewal for another 2 years. I am a Malaysian Chinese who spent nearly 20 years overseas in some of the big name universities in Australia and the UK.

After observing the system from the inside I can tell you that Malaysian universities will never improve, and whatever improvement you see will not last. I will set out my reasons in a concise manner.

1) Staff are not hire on merit

I’ve noticed that most the new staff hired are Malays. There are very few Chinese and Indian staff on tenure track. Infact most of the non-Malays I came across are hired on contract. It does not take a genius to know that if you don’t put people on tenure, they will not give their best.

One day I asked a DVC in private why there are so few non-Malay staff on tenure. I was surprised when he told me directly that there was an unofficial quota. He further told me that there is a lot of resistance from the junior Malay staff when non-Malays come in because they perceived the non-Malays are better researchers and academics. He also told me that good non-Malay staff go overseas, especially to Singapore so they do not want to waste their time in hiring non-Malay staff. I do not if this is true.

2) No research culture since promotion is not based on research

Despite all the talk by the Minister, there is no research culture. Infact, most local academics are not interested in research. A few of the Malay academics told me straight in the face that they like group or cluster research because it is “easier”. They don’t go for excellence or individual research. They also tell me that promotion is based on administrative work and “cables” to the Minister or VC. In fact a few of them tell me that good researchers are punished by the whole group because they make the others look bad or lazy. Thus no matter how good you are when you join, by putting you in a “research group” they are slowing the good ones down and before you know it, they become part of the group culture.

In the university where I was working, the VC or DVC did not published a single paper in an international referred journal. Except for one DVC, the VC and the other DVC do not even have a single book. The DVC with a book is a textbook in Malay and when I looked at it, I realized that it was mainly translation he passed off as his own work. Two of the DVC were active with UMNO and the VC is a relative of an UMNO strongman. Thus the “cable” theory appears to be true.

A retired Malay professor told me the most important criteria for promotion is “how you get along with people”. He also told me if you are good, they will bring you down because if the universities have standards, then they cannot survive in their jobs. In his own words, more than 4/5 of the current university staff will never be able to get academic jobs in a real university.

3) Pettiness and Jealously

The Malay culture is based in group behaviour and gossip and during my time there, I noticed that even academic staff took a lot of time in gossiping about nonsense. Most of the female academic staff used gossip to bring down capable people. For example, one Malay guy who just came back with his PhD had to endure a lot of gossip, all because one female academic staff complained that he did not hold a kenduri to celebrate his successful completion of PhD.

Another time, all the academic staff, including the Dean, ganged up against me because I had managed to published a paper in a leading international journal. Immediately after my name was mentioned by the VC as an example, the Dean started telling other academic staff that I did not “contribute enough” to the faculty.

I was under the impression that I was there to do research and publish but for these people, who cannot do research, the priority was on social events. This Dean was not even an academic in the first place but was a civil servant before he was appointed Dean. All the academics he has appointed since he became Dean all come from his state and all are local graduates. So how to improve?

There are many more things I want to say but these are the main reasons why Malaysian universities have no hope of ever being world class. As long as everything is based on race, pettiness and not on merit, I cannot see a way out.

I am writing this not out of frustration ( I am now overseas) but to also show why local universities waste so much money joining the Geneva Exhibitions and the like (as reported in the newspapers). The sad truth is when you have people who cannot publish in real academic journals, then they play silly games like join exhibitions.

The USM DVC who defended this practice would be laughed at if he was at a real university. In fact, to be frank, people like him cannot get a real academic job in Singapore, NZ or US. He is a symbol of what is wrong at local universities.

In sum, you have the blind leading the blind.

This post has been edited by pinkdevil88: Mar 1 2010, 12:17 AM

actually, u need a PhD to secure a lecturer post in an IPTA. meaning even if u have a masters, it wont make a difference. whether u join IPTS or IPTA is totally up to u. but if u intend to join IPTA eventually, ur best bet is go straight to IPTA. the main reason is seniority.

and yes, professional qualifications help.


a lot of what being said boils down to office politics. all the talk about who-knows-who, connections, jealousy etc are all common in ANY institutions. i've personally been in such situations. i can say that although it can be quite depressing, remember that two can play that game. just let ur abilities and achievements do the talking.

universities like UTM (where i am) adheres strictly to the ISO practices. there is a lot of clause that u can quote when it comes to acceptable practice. meaning, if u believe that u are being discriminated, all u need to do is do a bit of reading and just pluck clauses from the ISO during ur next meeting. people will cower as if it was bible truth in the dark ages.

there are always people who avoid office politics. i'm one of them. but i avoid because i dont like it, not because i can't play it. stand ur grounds and know ur rights. u'll be a force to be reckoned with. and remember, if u're being ganged up by anyone, there's always people above them that u can gang with .

finally, about the discrimination of non-malays during intake, i cant say it didnt exist. but like i said, there are rules that u can use to get around them. if u're being discriminated, KNOW YOUR RIGHTS. i've heard about the unspoken quota. i havent encountered it myself, as my faculty especially have quite a large number of non-malay staffs. but when it comes to getting non-malays to apply, it's true, most of them are offered contracts based on what is agreed during the interview.

most non-malays that applied prefer to keep their options open. contractual basis is the best in this case, before they finally decide to join permanently. but the number of applicants itself are very small to begin with. at my department, we had to go out and actually offer it to people bcoz no non-malays ever applied in the last 3 years. what to do?

Yes, i understood that from some of your previous post. that is the reason I choose IPTS first to become a lecturer. And will join IPTA later when i get my Phd.

Why do you say so?? Do you mean that the experience in IPTS will not count if I join IPTA later with a PhD and 3-4 years lecturing experience in IPTS??

Also could you please let me know how does the promotion in universities work?? How do the management evaluate performance?? feedback from students?? passing rate of the subjects? or number of publications you did?? Also can i know on average, how long does it take before a lecturer can get his professorship? Thanks a lot.

1. To be hired as a lecturer, one must have a PhD.

2. To be promoted to a senior lecturer, one must have a string of high quality publications. Low quality publications do NOT count. A lecturer must achieve sufficient amount of points for promotion. For instance, several countries have their own ranking though they are pretty much the same:

Singapore: Ranking in Singapore
Australia: Ranking in Australia

3. To be promoted to an Associate Professor, one must achieve certain amount of points in publications. In addition, one must have sufficient number of referees from well recognised institutions from Malaysia and Overseas. Any conflicts must be declared. This is another reason why universities at overseas are frantically looking for collaboration opportunities.

4. To be promoted to a Prof, similar procedure to point 3, but with more stringent rules.

At overseas, promotion is very much based on this system.

The Australia, NZ and Singapore use the system I mentioned.

In UK, publication citation from other universities count most.

In China, point system is based on points given by the international EI index

In Malaysia, what we have? A big NIL! So, there is NO transparency and our effort at overseas are NOT well appreciated to say the least.

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Added on March 1, 2010, 5:31 amMy main point is NOT salary. You misunderstood. I mentioned I could take the job at RM6,000-7,000, although an extra RM1,000 is fair and square. My main concern is:

1. Discrimination based on racial ground, as you have mentioned non-malays are hired under contract. Why the special treatment to Malays even in the hiring process. Promotion wise, it's even hopeless for non-Malays.
2. Lack of transparency in promotion, read my previous post. Where is the ranking and point system? Is it because the Head of Department or those in high position are of low quality that they never adopt the point system adopted by most institutions in the world?

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Added on March 1, 2010, 5:50 amAs I mentioned, everyone deserves due recognition in Malaysia. I do NOT need extra careful treatment, just hope there is enough transparency and recognition. To be transparent, there must be a good system like those applied in UK, Australia, NZ and China. Yet, I do NOT see such transparency in Malaysia.

Read my previous post. In China, academic position is very competitive as there is surplus of PhDs. They recruit through a point system, that's fair and square. Now you know why Beijing University and Tsing Hua University are ivy league. Am I asking too much for Malaysia to follow China?

Malaysia is competing with the rest of the world to become one of the top education hubs, adn to put some Unis in the ivy league. Did you mean the world should consider the local market environment before finalising the ivy league? Oh yeah, I remember a popular quote "Ini Malaysia" probably from a loser eh?

So, to work in Malaysia, one must swallow the bitter pills, whereas, to work in a developed country, one should just sit back and enjoy the sweet pleasures eh?

What do you mean by street smart? Is that to understand the Malaysian 'special' way? May be you admit that discrimination is wide spread in Malaysia, yet nothing is done, and so one has to be street smart, right? At overseas, they adopt point system backed with reference report in consideration of promotion, fair and square. In addition, all employees have to sign "Equal Opportunity" form in any application including research funding and promotion.

Are there Equal Opportunity in Malaysia? How does Malaysia compete in ivy league then?


This post has been edited by PhDExpert: Mar 1 2010, 05:50 AM

1. like i said, it was what the applicants agreed upon. it depends on the availability and what the candidate themselves want. if they applied for permanent post, they wont be offered a contract.

2. err... promotion IS based on meritocracy. if u have evidence that it is not, then i suggest taking it up to MACC. i'm sure they'll love a field trip to the universities. and i'm not being sarcastic here. help us weed out the dumbasses.

that aside, we do use point system. that's what they yearly review are for.

Far be it from overrun!

Did you remember Malaysia wants to compete with ivy league universities? Did you know Malaysia want to be a top education hub?

I'm intrigued that one could be the top without comparing overseas with Malaysia. What a "Inin Malaysia" mentality you have there.

Everyone should receive due recognition, and I do NOT need extra recognition or respect.

It's meaningless if I bring Malaysia to top tier conferences without being rewarded in due recognition. Without a proper point system, how does Malaysia gauge my achievement? You can't compare high quality publications with the low quality ones. High quality publications have very low acceptance rate. For instance, out of 100 papers submitted by the ivy league Unis, only 20-30 papers accepted in the good conferences, compared to 100 papers submitted by local Unis, and up to 70 papers accepted. In fact, no one bothers to read and cite those low quality publications as we know the publication avenues are money making.

Refer to the Poisson process for a single person like me. A single car won't congest the street.

---

Added on March 1, 2010, 6:02 amShow me the ranking system then. Show me the meritocracy system too. Why are there Head of Department without list of publications in their homepage, even in Universiti Malaya website?

This post has been edited by PhDExpert: Mar 1 2010, 06:04 AM

dude, if u can name one IPTA lecturer who have a complete publication list ONLINE, do share with us.

information in websites are managed by IT handler in individual faculties. the reliability and accuracy of the information highly depends on that particular person. we're not there yet. so instead of relying information on websites, i recommend contacting the individual faculties directly and acquire the information first hand.

so how do u want me to show the rating system? u wanna come to my place or should i come to yours? these information are not available online. if u havent stumbled upon it doesnt mean it doesnt exist, right? isnt that a fundamental rule in research?

This post has been edited by azarimy: Mar 1 2010, 06:20 AM

Cool down guys. Let's see what do I have here.

Chong Kwai Fatt's profile and all his publication list. He is a very famous tax lecturer and accounting students in Malaysia will know him as his text is used as the main text in our courses. Very impressive profile!!!


http://umexpert.um.edu.my/papar_cv.php?id=AAAJxnAAQAAAGEgAAC

dude, I'm intrigued how inefficient is the Malaysian way in its quest to be one of the top education hub.

Publication homepage is maintained by the lecturer, NOT by the IT staff. See the lecturers at overseas:

Japan: Japan publication list
UK:
Singapore: Singapore publication list
Australia: Australia publication list

and Malaysia: malaysia publication list

azarimy, do compare the others as well and be prepared to LYAO. haha... ranking system in Malaysia is NOT online yet. LMAO.

Singapore: Ranking in Singapore
Australia: Ranking in Australia

This post has been edited by PhDExpert: Mar 1 2010, 06:36 AM

Check this link for other lecturer's profile.

http://umexpert.um.edu.my/cv_prof.php

Yeah, impressive, but in Malaysia only. All I see are publications in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Nan Yang Siang Pau. to be honest, I wonder how difficult it is to publish there. Please compare him with the lectures that I suggested and you know how well the others perform at overseas.

I'm NOT bragging here. I'm NOT superior. But, I'm telling the fact that our lecturers are mostly jaguh kampung. At overseas, most have NO standing at all.


Japan: Japan publication list
UK:
Singapore: Singapore publication list
Australia: Australia publication list

This post has been edited by PhDExpert: Mar 1 2010, 06:40 AM

Someone is expecting wall street journal to publish something on Malaysian Tax!

You got me wrong. Malaysian tax is published in Malaysia. New findings that could tackle the tax issues at large are published at overseas.

I put it that you are giving lame excuse to avoid publishing at top tier international conferences and journals.

Read the Japanese publication site, there is a section on Research Community Paper:

Japan Publication List

This post has been edited by PhDExpert: Mar 1 2010, 06:57 AM

u are comparing online facilities now? not sure i wanna get into this...

like i said, ours are maintained by central IT staff. i myself dont have access to my own page to update my misspelled name.

but here's a suggestion. since u've already got a number of international publications, what's stopping u from joining malaysian universities?

http://staff.utar.edu.my/eweht/

http://staff.utar.edu.my/gohyk/

Look at a few more profiles i have found here. We have professors from MIT and Imperial College currently serving in Malaysia and they don't complain a thing about discrimination, salary and other stuff.

Can someone evaluate?

This post has been edited by PRiNCe_cHaRM: Mar 1 2010, 10:12 AM

For Prof. Ewe Hong Tat, I'm NOT qualified to evaluate as he is much more experience than I am. I suppose he is 15 years my senior.

For Dr. Goh Yong Kheng, he is about 5 years my senior, so I'll evaluate his achievement. I'm intrigued he is a deputy dean at this young age, probably at 34 years old (I'm 29 years old).

Firstly, he obtained a scholarship from UK to pursue PhD. His scholarship "ORS (Oversea Research Students Awards), 2001-2003, by Universities UK for studying PhD at Imperial College London" was sponsored by the UK government to cover the DIFFERENCE between UK student and Overseas student tuition fees, that's about 6,000 quid per annum. Thus, Dr. Goh either covered his living expenses and UK student tuition fees (up to 10,000 quid per annum) himself, or he worked as tutor, research assistant, waiter, or salesman to support himself while in UK. He indeed had struggled a lot in UK.

Secondly, I evaluate his publications. There are 7 peer-reviewed publications (excluding PhD thesis). he has 5 journals and 3 conference research papers) and the publication avenues are as follows:

New J. Phys. 4, 81.1-81.9 (2002), 5-year Impact Factor = 3.544) = Excellent
Granular Matter, 6, 39-46, (2004), (refereed) 5-year Impact Factor = 1.618) = Excellent
Computational Science - ICCS2004, Ranked A by Australia = Excellent
ERAD 2004, vol. 2, 35-40, 6 pages, (2004). Acceptance rate <20% = Excellent
NHESS 5-year Impact Factor = 1.345) = Good
J. of Sci. & Tech. in the Tropics, vol. 1, no. 1, page 131 – 134, (2005)
Very Poor because First volume and First edition
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., vol. 6, 285 – 291, (2006) 5-year Impact Factor = 1.345) = Good

Based on the evaluation, he has 4 good journals and 2 good conferences publications, all international. Those are top-tier publications. Although the quantity is low, but the quality is excellent. Having said that, as a deputy dean, he should have much more good publications, rather than merely six.

Compared to UK and Singapore, his achievement is rather low at this age and his position as a vice dean.

But in Malaysia, he is one of the top achievers. If you compared to the entire Computer Science department in USM, he is the top. You can compare with USM and Dr. Goh publication impak factor is more than anyone in the entire USM:

USM publication list

All in all, he is someone I salute lah... as his good publications are more than mine . But, we have a 5-year age gap. And, the flip side is he NEVER publish after his PhD graduation. What happens to him? He has stopped publishing since 2006. Slacker? Or the Malaysian Malas culture?

Currently, I have 2 good journals and 3 good conferences publications, and this is enough for me to get good position in UK and Japan.

This post has been edited by PhDExpert: Mar 1 2010, 10:44 AM

I would need to agree on PhDExpert on this.
Being realistic, look at the job market. Would you hire a local grad or foreign grad, ceteris paribus (same qualification, experience, etc)? Needless to say, foreign grad would get the upper hand? Why? Well, the are too many reasons for that.

Malaysia is now lacking of a high quality human capital (well, u guys should know why), so paying a bit more for ppl such as PhDExpert is totally fine. Considering that the quality of education in our country is below par, hiring one that is good would entail better remuneration, and this is be practiced if we want to our country to improve. Well, face the reality, who would want to work for you, if the pay's low? Unless there's sth in it for them, for example research funds and etc.

PhDExpert, I have read your various posts and your comments about the local higher learning environment.

It is commendable that you're thinking of teaching locally but I do think you must prepare yourself for the culture shock. Yes, you are dismayed at the situation here regarding publication by lecturers, you want to work in a top flight uni environment and get your intellectual challenge, etc. Unfortunately, many places in Malaysia are not there yet. Academia in Malaysia is still a long way off from the overseas examples you quoted. It is changing though (albeit too slowly in my opinion). Anyway, the point is that the situation in Malaysia needs to be improved, but at the moment it is what it is. You will need to adapt to it otherwise you will be quite disappointed and eventually quit and teach overseas.

Malaysia population: 27,000,000
Singapore population: 5,000,000
Australia population: 21,000,000

If one compares the high impact publications among these countries, it is appalling that our high impact publications comprised not even 5% of those in the countries with population way less than us!

Wake up! Jaguh Kampung!

i'd just like to say at the end of the day, its doing what you like and getting the means to live on..don't like it? move on..

whats the purpose of getting a PHD? to get better pay? to get recognition? to contribute back to society? go figure.. then u can decide better..

i never liked academics..the brother selling burgers next to my house has no academic achievement but is making more than me and he drives a bigger car, and i'm the engineer.. luckily i love my job..at least for now.. haha..

who knows, i might end up selling burgers one day? now, how to 'kill' the competition?

Thanks.

Yes, you are right, the culture shock to work in my own country. This is rather amusing. As I have mentioned, starting remuneration of RM6,000-7,000 is absolutely acceptable for me. I could only hope for the best in terms of research funds distribution and promotion. After all, I have been studying at overseas for long, where FAIRNESS and Equal Opportunity are rather commonplace. If you happened to work at overseas before, I'm sure you could feel, deep down, the disappointment to get back to Malaysia only to endure the discrimination and to survive the office politics.

It does NOT matter whether Malaysia is a top notch research and education hub. The bottom line is, be fair and square. To attain this state, the meritocracy system must be transparent. All information that azarimi suggested are yet to be available online, so where is the transparency?

Azarimi stated that lecturer's publications are managed by the IT department. I'm sick of it! I could not find the USM Head of Department's list of publication while she has been working there for many years! Blatant ignorance!

And why non Malays are hired under contract, while Malays are full time lecturers? Why non Malays have to discuss and negotiate during employment, and why not grant them permanent position in the first place?

There are a host of questions!

---

Added on March 1, 2010, 12:01 pmThis is another quote from a typical Malaysian with "Ini Malaysia" mentality. You do what you like.

Oh yeah, Malaysia should stick to this mentality. Then, please don't mention any Apex University. To me, it's syok sendiri. Forget about getting into Ivy League... we do what we like mah... why compare with other Unis?

This post has been edited by PhDExpert: Mar 1 2010, 12:02 PM

For someone with a Ph.D, your thinking sure is simple.

Our education is not comparable to them. Simply put, our education is still very.. undeveloped.
Our economy, is not as dynamic due to bureaucratic red tape, fear of political backlash etc
The better part of our people, will hop to greener pastures should the offer come to them.
As a result of a weak economy, funding for education is low.
Due to the departure of our best minds elsewhere, our education is weak, and so is our economy.

It's a vicious cycle, and not one that's so easily reversed as you hope it would. People are in constant search of a better life, and sad to say, for an academic, that better life lies out of our country (if you look at pay, social support and research ops). It's admirable, yes, that you want to work here. But fact is, the backward, jaguh kampugn culture is already entrenched. If you speak to people in the education field, very few will say they are out to change the world. It's sad, yes, but talking about it in a forum helps how?

You, saying whatever you want in a forum, will not change that.
If you want to change, start with yourself. Why don't you start doing something about it, rather than just talking about your grand plans about changing the country. Talk is cheap.

haha..nice..

It's almost starting to sound like you're hoping that someone in this forum to PM you with an offer of RM6k to RM7k

I find it odd that someone as "exposed" as you would have culture shock working here. I studied overseas as well, top 5 uni in the world for my field. I'm doing well. Sure i don't have a phd and i haven't published any fancy papers (i have reasons for that ). But those who are exposed to me will instantly recognize me as outstanding. It's me, not my papers. I want change too. So i will make that change. Humans cannot stop me, and they know it.

For someone who sounds as internally focused as you are, you're so dependent on action and recognition from others. I find that slightly amusing.

This post has been edited by epic.engineer: Mar 1 2010, 12:28 PM

IPTA have so many bad things as said by PhdExpert. How about IPTS?

You only need Masters degree to work in IPTS. But if I dont plan in obtaining any phd degree will I get the chance for future promotion in IPTS or will my career progress be stagnant?

hehe you lecture for 5months then work for 5months, then you get PHD, then you deserve RM10K..since ppl won't give u RM10K, this country don't deserve you..maybe you also dont deserve that much actually? well, who knows..

my point is at the end of the day, ppl just need money to survive. so get a job that you like that can pay for your living, be it locally or internationally. there is no grand plan to change the world, its just making a living, for yourself and your family.

if you get a good offer overseas, go for it, make a living or make a change..if you get a good offer in malaysia, then WORK in malaysia. who cares?

no need to flame everyone in the forum who disagrees to your views..so un'PHD' of you...cheers..

Weak economy? U wanna make me burst in laughter my dear friend. Please analyze the real condition of Malaysia before you label people as 'simple-minded'. Bureaucratic red tape, political backlash, or whatever the reasons are, is not really the reason to the quality of education in our country. How on earth can u say Malaysia has a weak economy??? Man, this drives me crazy. Please clarify on that.

Personally, I believe that I am a victim of the ever deteriorating quality of education in Malaysia. Being, a straight A student (11A1) is practically useless. It doesn't really show anything. While some of you may disagree, consider this; Compare a 8A1 student being really good in mathematics, and a 15A1 student being average on all across all the subjects taken. Really, the only difference is purely the no. of subject taken. When you go out to the job market, what does 15A1 proves? We need to change to the 'O' level system, which focuses the students on particular subjects, rather than asking them to take unnecessary subjects, which is impractical.

That is just one of the many examples why the quality of education in Malaysia is terrible. Can this be improved? Yes. But are the people willing to do it? No. Well, many reasons, mainly $$$. We have the funding, I mean it seriously, it's just that the $$$ is flowing to the wrong hands.

And really, please clarify why u say Malaysia has a weak economy with such a steady growth (except during the crisis).

ex IPTA "lecturer" reporting in.

Reading the first post, I was so tempted to write a lot of things, but I decided against ranting, so let me put it simply:

1) Malaysia doesn't have a tradition of scholarship excellence - i don't mean "biasiswa" but as in being a "Scholar".
2) IPTAs in Malaysia have a very weird grading system when it comes to lecturers - there's no distinction between a lecturer and a researcher. Very few people can be excellent at both.
3) IPTAs in Malaysia also thrive on getting published in obscure journals and conferences.
4) internal politics are hell. many young lecturers I know just accept the status quo even tho they are capable of more.
5) most IPTA lecturers i know use their free time to make money via side businesses

Sure you could say all the above are generalisations - but this was what I faced. Because of item 1, and the fact that everything has to toe the political line, you can't be truly "out of the box" or adventurous. You will likely be told to join several jawatankuasas to organise this and that event, and then suddenly be told you aren't doing enough "research".

So whatever you may feel, it's ultimately your decision, just don't say we didn't warn you.

Weak relative to the foreign countries highlighted by PhDExpert aka Australia and Singapore. What measure do I say is weak? GDP per capita, in USD. GDP I feel is a very decent approximation of the salary anyone will get, and when your GDP overall is low, tax revenue per person is on average lower. Therefore, you get less money to spend on each individual person. What happens when you have less to spend on each person? You get poor quality education as a result of being unable to pay higher salaries for better qualified educators.

On top of that, we have, as u mentioned, money flowing into the wrong hands, which is what I implied by my euphemism on bureaucratic red tape (which u gladly missed). People willing to do it, no, of course not. But you see, the questions and statements you make is, "why cna't they.." instead of "what can I do?". It's very easy to blame everyone else, but why don't you think of your own avenues to make yourself stand out?

On your matter of SPMs many As, that element I agree is misguided. HOWEVER, primary and secondary education's purpose is still to build a well rounded individuals, not specialists in maths, or biology, or linguistics. Tertiary education is where you're supposed to learn your specialization.. You may feel it is unnecessary, but these things have a purpose?

1. Malaysia average income per capita (USD), as compared to S'pore, Aus, US, etc. Direct correlation to the country's GDP. I wouldnt say, but relatively weaker for comparison.

2. Everybody can see M'sian education system is a royal f**ked up. But how can an average student scores a 15A1 in the 1st place? Quantity over quality?

3. Everything can be improved in M'sia. But at the current state, under the current governing bodies... well, lets just say, people are getting jaded, sick and tired about it.

True enough, there is a purpose there. I'm not trying to say that the subjects offered are irrelevant to the students, but more of the standards and quality of education we are offering. How good are they? I don't think it needs further explanation. (Literacy rate decreased from 2008, how is that possible? I thought we are moving towards the goal of being a developed nation?)

Although I do partially agree that a country's economy is judged by its GDP, we should be able to pay an ample remuneration package for those who deserve it. Well, the human capital in Malaysia is attractive to foreigners because of the low-cost that we are able to offer. A country's economy does have a positive correlation with the quality of education, but looking deeper, if we are unable to provide an otherwise equivalent or appropriate price for an employee, how are we supposed to attract more and more professional into our country? This is why our government is currently working towards providing a higher salary for employee, i.e. setting a minimum wage rate, for full timers (it would be near impossible to achieve this as we would have to revamp the whole remuneration system). Lacking of human capital, is our main problem for us to achieve our vision 2020 goal (sounds cool, but another mission impossible as we would need to achieve at least 8% growth every year till then). Like you've mentioned, they can, but wouldn't, because it would take a lot of sacrifice for the government to actually improve our economic situation.

GDP in USD... Hmm... Does it take into account the PPP and other factors such as growth opportunities? If we are to grow, it would entail a certain action to be done by the government, can't just blame it on GDP(I know u don't mean solely on GDP).

Wrong!

This post has been edited by PRiNCe_cHaRM: Mar 1 2010, 01:42 PM

Congratulations ThanatosSwiftfire! You have remained the same in the old past, not knowing that we are only 10 years south of 2020 to be a 'developed' country. Never mind, you can still preach what you like, as long as we adopt the third world mentality, we are still better off than Vietnam, Philippine, and Myanmar, right?

As of today, we should be close to 'developed', sorry, I don't think I'm harsh to compare Malaysia with tinny Singapore. Who is the bully here, the tinny Singapore?

Why our lecturers publish in obscure publication avenues, while Singapore publish in top tiers? The entire Malaysia could NOT even produce 5% of Singapore's good publications! Anyway, I think you should celebrate we have got such a poor performance! Stunning achievement for the infamous reason. Well done!

---

Added on March 1, 2010, 1:54 pmLack of Equal Opportunity. The EO is adopted by MOST developed countries.

As I have mentioned, there isn't transparency at all. The lecturers hide their list of publications somewhere otherwise, it's a shame!

+1000000000000000000

Malaysia never learns! Learn to appreciate human capital please!

+100000000000000
You should have groused way long ago

This post has been edited by PhDExpert: Mar 1 2010, 01:57 PM

There's a difference between whether subjects have a purpose, and finding fault in the implementation. What your problem with the subjects is, is how they are implemented, isn't it?

Yes, purchasing power and all that makes a difference, however, when you're dealing with highly mobile professionals, PPP loses most of it's point and absolute amounts is what matters.


Right!

Wow, you resort to insults? Such academic behavior!
I'm preaching? Hmm... I didn't know the roles have switched!
Perhaps you can take a look at our GDP/per capita compared to Singapore/Per capita, and also do some reading on economics. We're NOWHERE clsoe to developed in terms of GDP, productivity numbers in US$ and the quality of tertiary education.

Am I celebrating the poor performance? Wow, I really appreciate how my meaning is misconstrued. I'm saying we should attempt to make improvements, step by step, and whilst we may use the developed nations as a target, it is unfair to use them as a benchmark. There is a difference between what is POSSIBLE to be achieved in the time frame of 10 years, and what's IMPOSSIBLE to be done in the same 10 years.

And yes, we never learn. Great! So uh, why don't you do something to make us be able to appreciate our human capital? What do you get out of this?

I reiterate: "You have remained the same in the old past, not knowing that we are only 10 years south of 2020 to be a 'developed' country." Period!

Insult of what? Then, how about you remark "or someone with a Ph.D, your thinking sure is simple"????? Is this insult? Tell me!

You think I'm being unfair to compare Malaysia with Singapore, what more can I say? We compare Malaysia with Indonesia, shall we? We are only 10 years away from 2020, what's wrong with a developed country as benchmark. Now, tell me, which country should we use as benchmark? LMAO...

I'm intrigued you need me to teach you how to appreciate other's achievement. You know, I appreciate every profession on earth, be it janitor or prime minister. After all the discussion, you fail to understand transparency and fairness are the key!

This post has been edited by PhDExpert: Mar 1 2010, 02:39 PM

And your point is? I know we have 10 years left, and I know we're in deep shit. What I'm asking is, what is your point? You keep talking about it on the internet, and somehow magically we're gonna change into a developed nation? No great kingdom is a built in a day, and certainly not by people who talk like they deserve the world, but have yet to do anything to contribute to the improvement of the country.

Start contributing, and maybe we'll see some good a few years down the future.


Our best benchmark is ourselves. An honest assessment of where we are, and given the circumstances that occured specifically to us, have we, as a nation, made the best choices for the country.

I agree that fairness and transparency is important, but what does TALKING about it in an internet forum, do to change it?

Did I say Malaysia could become developed country in one day?
My points have been clear. There is an urgent need to promote transparency and MERITOCRACY that is FAIR and SQUARE.

Do you understand what is benchmark? I have never stumbled upon any scientific fact that tells "Compare yourself against yourself, and that's the benchmark"... Come on, ThanatosSwiftfire! Do you know what you are telling us? As a reminder, forumers are NOT simple minded.

At last, ThanatosSwiftfire understands how to appreciate human capital. I'm glad someone from Sunway College learned about fairness and transparency. But wait a minute, ThanatosSwiftfire does NOT know how to walk the talk... sigh... ThanatosSwiftfire is talk the talk too in the forum. As I said, the Poisson Process model applies well.

Hmmm... this is the first day of Autumn in Australia =) ThanatosSwiftfire, could you do me a favour? I'm too far away to contribute back home, and this forum is the only channel. You might want to walk the talk. Thanks!

This post has been edited by PhDExpert: Mar 1 2010, 03:02 PM

Wait, are you saying malaysia CAN'T be a developed country?
Hmmm...

Oh yes I sure as hell knows what I'm saying. There is NO one size fit all theory. One theory applicable to the development of one country into a developed nation, doesn't apply completely to any other nation. We benchmark against the-best-case scenario of ourselves, because we have advantages that they don't, and we may have weaknesses that they don't. There are things we know we can do better, and we should, and there are things we know we can't do, because it's against our way of life, principles and traditions.
.
oooo... loook who's resorting to even more cheap shots.
And heh. You had to drag the sunway college tag into this, don't you?

This post has been edited by ThanatosSwiftfire: Mar 1 2010, 03:09 PM

ThanatosSwiftfire does NOT seem to comprehend.

When the generalisation rule applies, you are saying ALL countries should NOT compare among themselves because every country is unique. Sorry, this does NOT apply in reality. no wonder Malaysian are always Jaguh Kampung because of flawed benchmark.

What cheap shots? Sunway college is a good college what? What you think? I'm glad someone from Sunway college learned from me, is this a cheap shot?!

This post has been edited by PhDExpert: Mar 1 2010, 03:17 PM

*sarcasm fail *

Its not wrong to compare between countries. In fact its a good practice. That way we know how far behind we are. But Malaysia is improving its standards. Its not fair to compare between malaysia and American or Japan. Its better to compare between similar countries or maybe countries less advance than America or Japan. Maybe compare to TAiwan or something we can comprehend.

I think it's hopeless to try to be a top-notch researcher in MY. The institutions are not organized to make that possible.

You might nonetheless want to return (for personal reasons). But the fact remains that you will unlikely be able to do much research here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Article_153_o...ion_of_Malaysia

Article 153 of the Constitution of Malaysia grants the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King of Malaysia) responsibility for safeguarding the special position of the Malay and other indigenous peoples of Malaysia, collectively referred to as Bumiputra and also the legitimate interests of the other communities. The article specifies how the federal government may protect the interest of these groups by establishing quotas for entry into the civil service, public scholarships and public education.


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We all know it burns down to politics end of the day and it is still up to you if you decide to come back and serve. The Malaysian Brain drain does not just happened. It happened as early as in the 70's and 80's and we have lost a lot of talents. Again, there are ppl who decided to stay back and serve our own country despite all the unfairness. So it is up to your own decision.

---

Added on March 1, 2010, 7:03 pmJust to sidetrack a bit. The uk government has already cut their research and education funding last year.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/m...esearch-funding

This post has been edited by pinkdevil88: Mar 1 2010, 07:03 PM

So, the conclusion to this thread on "Lecturer's salary and prospects in Malaysia" is rather gloomy.

I think you're being a bit unfair here. I put that down to your unfamiliarity with law and legal academics.

Law publications tend to be country specific unless you are publishing in broad-reaching areas, eg international law. New findings that are applicable to all jurisdictions are rare. Even if a landmark case/decision is released in a particular country, it will not necessarily be relevant/applicable to other countries.

Yes, there is some borrowing and law academics should be familiar with major developments in overseas jurisdictions (at least within the common law system). However, the primary area of expertise will be in the domestic jurisdiction. This is the case here in NZ as it is anywhere else. Malaysia is no exception.

You seem to have scrolled right down to the Mass Media section of his publications to extract Nanyang Xiang Pau etc, while ignoring his other publications. Scanning through his publications, I notice he has publications by Sweet and Maxwell Asia, the Malayan Law Journal and what looks like definitive guides/books on Malaysian taxation law. Not too shabby by any standards.

Let's get into realit here. we all understand what is going on in our tertiary education here in Malaysia. But bottom line is do we want to come back and serve our country??

Btw, is there any distinctive difference between a researcher and a lecturer in malaysia universities????

Let's put it "bottom line is do we want to come back and discriminated by our country?"

Yes, at least the case at overseas. But, I'm not sure the case in Malaysia.

This post has been edited by PhDExpert: Mar 4 2010, 10:45 AM

Have you thought of what can we do to change this country?? Instead of thinking what the country can give you, please think of what can you give the country.

I'm 29 years old. At this age, I gotta think more about my own future.

As for "what can you give the country", I might consider that 20 years later lah...

What do you expect from me? I'm just a small fry. In Malaysia, most people looks at your qualification and experience (aka age/seniority) before they listen to you!

This post has been edited by PhDExpert: Mar 5 2010, 10:33 AM

I think we would be wise to expect nothing from you, from what I have seen

Anywhere you go, people will look at your qualification and experience first, because what you "have done" is a simple, objective measure of what you "can potentially do". If you learn computer architecture, this is the basis of branch prediction. Past behavior is a good indication of future behavior

This post has been edited by epic.engineer: Mar 5 2010, 09:57 PM

JUST WORK AT UK......