M. Bakri Musa
Malaysiakini.com

Old Versus New (Promised) Malaysia

Two school events, both widely reported, took place last week. One was
the Speech Day at Malay College Kuala Kangsar, and the other, the
graduation exercise at Kolej Yayasan UEM. The difference in the two
events serves as a good metaphor distinguishing the old Malaysia from
what I hope is the promise of a new one.
The ceremony at Kuala Kangsar was graced by no less than the
King, the Raja Muda of Perak (the school's Governing Board Chair), and
the Minister of Education. You could not get a more distinguished
company of visitors than that. Meanwhile KYUEM had such nondescript
corporate figures as UEM Chairman Ahmad Tajuddin Ali and its Foundation
Trustee, Sheriff Kassim, in attendance.
At Malay College's Speech Day, there was no mention of the
achievements of the graduating students, specifically which great
universities they would be attending. There was a reason for this
noticeable absence. None of the students qualified for university
admission directly. They would first have to go to a "finishing school"
elsewhere.
The headmaster at KYUEM proudly announced that 11 of his 183 graduates
would be heading for either Oxford or Cambridge. In the preceding year,
a fourth of his students secured admissions to Oxford, Cambridge,
Imperial College, and London School of Economics, an achievement any
British grammar school would be very proud of. In the area where it
counts, in fact the only valid currency for a school - the quality of its
graduates - KYUEM easily trumps the venerable MCKK.
It is revealing that the item that received the biggest applause
(according to a news report) was the King's announcement that the
minister had approved a new hall for MCKK! In his speech, the King
suggested that other schools emulate MCKK. I respectfully suggest to His
Majesty that Malay College should instead emulate KYUEM.

The Old Malay of MCKK

MCKK, established over 100 years ago, had pretensions of being the "Eton
of the East." It is formal, resistant to change, and slavishly hanging
on to "traditions." Even the school motto is in affected Latin, Fiat
Sapienta Virtus. Query the school's alumni, students and teachers; few
would know what it means. In short, Malay College epitomizes the old
Malay ethos, obsessed with symbols and pretensions but devoid of
substance.
KYUEM on the other hand is less than a decade old. Its mission statement,
or motto if you will, is elegant in its simplicity and clarity, "To
Educate, Not Simply Teach." No pompous Latin phrases. And they -
trustees, teachers, and students - have done an excellent job at it.
They embody the good and the promise of a new Malaysia. Specifically,
those Malays at KYUEM are my model of Melayu Baru (New Malay).
Before elucidating further the differences between MCKK and KYUEM, it is
important to note that despite their "college" labels, both institutions
are basically residential secondary schools. In case of Malay College,
it is not even that. Since its graduates cannot enter university
directly, MCKK is essentially a glorified middle school.
The foremost difference is that MCKK is a public institution, totally
dependent on the allocations from the ministry. Despite its roster of
luminaries as "old boys," their contributions to the school are miniscule
to nonexistent. The only time they visit their alma mater is to harass
the headmaster for decisions they do not like.
KYUEM is a private institution, dependent on tuition and donations for its
survival. As such, it has to produce to satisfy its customers - students
and their parents. The school is not interested how many sultans,
ministers and other luminaries it counts among its alumni rather which
university will accept its students next year. Malay College is fixated
with its past, Kolej UEM is confidently poised for the future.
Malay College is an all-Malay institution; KYUEM's student body reflects
the rich diversity of Malaysian society. Malay College students would
carry their cultural insularity into their adult life. KYUEM's students
on the other hand have a much richer and more meaningful learning and
living environment because of the diversified enrollment. They would
definitely be better prepared for this globalized world.

Examine the Leadership

While everyone in an organization contributes to its success, the crucial
differentiating point is leadership. KYUEM trustees are from the
business world, individuals attuned to recognizing a need in society and
then fulfilling it. In contrast, the Minister of Education appoints
MCKK's governing board. They are thus men with the mindset that there is
no problem that a government cannot solve. The sinister corollary to this
is that the government must control everything; it knows what is best for
you and me, and our children.
Consequently, MCKK's curriculum follows that the ministry's rigid
prescription, right down to the textbooks. KYUEM opted for global
standards and chose the best traditions of British grammar schools. When
there are no locals with sufficient experience with such a system, the
trustees do not hesitate in hiring an expatriate. They do not have any
negative lingering anti-colonial hang ups, or fear that the hiring of a
foreigner would be viewed as a slight on the abilities of the natives.
Those trustees are interested only in what is best for their students.
KYUEM's outgoing headmaster, Richard Small, is an Oxford graduate; his
successor, John Horsfall, is a product of Cambridge and a PhD-holder to
boot. I gleaned these facts from the news reports of the graduation
exercise. In contrast, at Malay College's Speech Day there was no
mention of who was the headmaster. That was the degree of respect the
headmaster commanded, or was accorded. The King and the other
distinguished visitors hogged the limelight. They were obviously more
important than the headmaster, teachers, or students.
I am certain that the MCKK's headmaster must glow in having the King, Raja
Muda and the Minister grace his school's function. Richard Small on the
hand could hardly contain his pride in his students' achievements. How
revealing of the different priorities at the two institutions!
Leadership alone is not enough. The students do not see the trustees and
headmaster every day in the classrooms. It is the teachers who are there
for the students. "The most important learner in the classroom," noted
Headmaster Small, "is the teacher, because if the teacher is not
constantly learning and changing, how can he be a competent role model
for student learners."
The caliber of the faculty at KYUEM is impressive, many with graduate
degrees including PhDs. Its biology teacher, Norhayati Zainudin, is a
graduate in Veterinary Medicine from a local university.
Impressive degrees mean nothing if the teacher cannot teach. My biology
teacher at Malay College had a PhD from a Punjabi university. He was
next to useless. Fortunately, my physics and chemistry teachers in the
persons of Mr. Malhotra and Mr. Norton more than took up the slack in
teaching and guiding us.
Readers might be puzzled to know where I garner these facts about KYUEM.
Easy, from its website (www.kyuem.edu.my). It has a wealth of
information useful not only for potential students but also for web
visitors like me.
I tried to surf Malay College's website. The operative word there is
"tried." There are many such sites claiming to be the "official"
website, many hosted by "freebie" server and consequently cluttered with
advertising banners. On one site, tts "Students Achievements" page was
last updated in 1999!
Malay College is embarking on its "Sayong Project," billed to take it into
the new century. MCKK is also eagerly seeking ties with residential
schools in other countries. I humbly suggest that MCKK looked closer to
home, just a few miles south at Lembah Beringin.
Malay College epitomizes the feudal Malay system still very much alive
under the veneer of modernity. Meanwhile those folks at Lembah Beringin
represent the new Malaysia, confident of their heritage and at ease with
the modern world.

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