PUBLIC-PRIVATE
COLLABORATION
Dato’ Seri Ir. Dr Zaini bin Ujang, Secretary General II, Ministry of Education,
talks to BEM on several aspects of the Malaysia Education Blueprint (20152025) which focuses on higher education. Among other developments,
several initiatives in public-private collaborations in curriculum development
and university research have already started.
T
he Malaysia Education Blueprint or
MEB (2015-2025) has ambitious plans
to transform higher education (HE) in
Malaysia. Based on 10 shifts (Shift 1 to 10 - see
sidebar), the country’s new higher education
system is expected to produce graduates with
entrepreneurial mindset and a drive to create
jobs, rather than to only seek jobs. In addition,
there will be added focus on the much-needed
technical and vocational training (TVET). Higher
Learning Institutes (HLIs) will have to reduce their
reliance on Government resources and earn more
autonomy within the regularity framework.
In a meeting with members of the Board of
Engineers Malaysia (BEM)’s Editorial Board, Dato’
Seri Ir. Dr Zaini bin Ujang, Secretary General II,
Ministry of Education (MOE), dwells on several
aspects of the MEB. Focus is on two aspects i.e.
Quality TVET Graduates (Shift 4) and Innovation
Ecosystem (Shift 7). In both realms, Dato’ Seri
Zaini reveals that public-private collaboration, in
various forms, have already started.
According to the MEB, the intake of TVET
students after Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) was
about 160,000 in 2013. In terms of education,
there are over 1,000 TVET institutions in the
country, of which 506 are public ones in the
form of polytechnics, community colleges and
vocational colleges. This does not include the
Malaysian Technical University Network [Universiti
Dato’ Seri Ir. Dr Zaini bin Ujang (L) in discussion
with Dato Ir. Fong Tian Yong and Prof. Ir. Dr KS
Kannan
Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), Technical University of
Malaysia Malacca (UTeM), Universiti Tun Hussein
Onn Malaysia (UTHM) and Universiti Malaysia
Pahang (UMP)] that provide diploma and degree
level TVET programmes. Depending on the courses
taken, there are two accreditation bodies, i.e. the
Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) under
MOE and the Department of Skills Development
under the Ministry of Human Resources. There is
concern about the many types of TVET institutions
and the recognition of courses by employers. (see
chart on next page)
7
COVER FEATURE
MALAYSIA EDUCATION BLUEPRINT (2015-2025)