Corruption in tertiary institutions: Set up integrity unit

KUALA LUMPUR: Immediate drastic action is needed to curtail corruption among students and lecturers in tertiary institutions (IPT) to improve grades as it affects the quality of graduates.
Peninsular Malay Students Federation president Zambri Mohd Isa said an integrity unit should be formed in IPTs to conduct an internal audit on all lecturers, including the marks given to students.
"If their work is audited, then lecturers who give incorrect marks to students could be detected. Stern action can then be taken and reported to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
"We do not want the tertiary institutions to produce individuals without integrity," he told Bernama here today.
In a newspaper report today, the MACC confirmed there was corruption in tertiary institutions where students gave lecturers money to improve their grades and pass examinations.
Zambri urged the MACC to provide details of the claims as it involved the image of local graduates.
"We need the details on which are the institutions, who the lecturers are and students involved ... we do not want our graduates as having graduated by giving money to the lecturers. (So) Where is the quality of their qualification?" he asked.
Meanwhile, a member of the Special Parliamentary Committee on Corruption Datuk Seri Irmohizam Ibrahim said it was feared that students would continue this habit of corruption in their future careers.
"As such, drastic action must be taken by tertiary institutions and the MACC to resolve this issue," he said.
Irmohizam, who is a former lecturer said a slot on integrity should be included in the orientation programme or curriculum of the tertiary institutions to prevent it from continuing.
He added that an awareness campaign should also be held in tertiary institutions, involving students and the staff.
"Besides the students, lecturers must also be reminded of their ethics and the vow they took when they first became educators," he said.
Irmohizam, who is also Selangor Youth Council president, said the issue of students bribing lecturers to get better grades was very serious and stern action should be taken against the guilty parties.
He added that the tertiary institutions themselves should cooperate with the MACC by providing information to identify those who were guilty.
"They should be identified and stern action taken if the allegations are true because it would damage the credibility of local graduates and lecturers," he said. — Bernama