Not too long ago, we were repeatedly told that Malaysia needs more STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) graduates but the Director General of the Department of Higher Education now tells us that electrical and electronic telecommunication engineering courses at Malaysia's 19 public universities are "irrelevant" and will be dropped.
Also, courses in animation and creative technology are "irrelevant" and will be dropped as well,along with courses in entrepreneurship and commerce.
Heck! As recent as 27 August 2018 - i.e. just over a year ago, we were still being told that creative multimedia was a major industry cluster within Malaysia's Multimedia Super Corridor initiative or MSC Malaysia, when the New Straits Times reported about efforts to turn Malaysia into a "creative powerhouse".
So what will happen to that objective now - the Multimedia Super Corridor - Tun Dr. Mahathir's baby - becomes the Moribund Super Corridor ????
Unfortunately, the article below by The Star which is an excerpt from a Malay language Berita Harian article does not mention what courses are deemed relevant.
Irrelevant varsity subjects dropped
Tuesday, 24 Sep 2019
Compiled by DEREK YONG, OH ING YEEN and R. ARAVINTHAN
As
many as 38 university programmes, mostly in science and engineering,
have been cancelled due to their decreased relevance to the current and
future progress of Malaysian industries, reported Berita Harian.
The programmes were offered by 19 public universities which were also assessing other subjects.
Higher Education Department director-general Datin Paduka Dr Siti Hamisah Tapsir (pic) said the move was in line with efforts to ensure graduates could find jobs that were related to their qualifications.
Among
the programmes dropped are those related to sports psychology,
entrepreneurship and commerce, animation and creative technology, and
electric and electronic telecommunication engineering.
Siti Hamisah said the programmes needed to be replaced with new ones to meet the needs of industries.
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