PETALING JAYA: A former assistant professor has criticised public universities over their misplaced priorities when it comes to dress codes for students, saying there are other pressing issues that these institutions should address.

Sharifah Munirah Alatas said public universities often come up with rules and regulations “about everything else under the sun” except discussions on what university education is really about, namely critical thinking, producing new knowledge, and learning to apply innovative thoughts.

“How and why do university managements come up with such silly regulations on dressing? Don’t faculties and university managements have better things to do?” she asked in a Facebook post.

The Malaysian Academic Movement (Gerak) chair said public universities have “loads of real problems” that require immediate attention, such as addressing rampant academic fraud, useless research, and unemployable graduates.
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“Why not clean up the corruption among the university’s board of directors, or reprimand non-performing lecturers rather than promoting them just because they ‘apple polish’ their superiors or have political connections?” she said.

Her remarks were in response to a dress code for students at a university in Sarawak, which advised them against wearing sandals and slippers, as well as prohibiting male students from wearing female attire or accessories.

The students were also advised to wear make-up or use perfume modestly.

Munirah said such guidelines show that universities treat their students as if they are “soulless walking sheets of cardboard”.

“Even our pets are treated more like thinking and feeling human beings, with freedom and a sense of independence and self-respect,” she said.

When contacted, Munirah also said while she adamantly opposes the global ranking system, Malaysian universities hold it in high regard.

Therefore, these institutions should prioritise substance over form to climb up the rankings, she said.

For example, placing greater emphasis on philosophy, the arts, music and poetry could help project a higher global ranking in the long run, besides building reputation.

“When students and university lecturers show more interdisciplinary skills, the likelihood of them producing articles and other publications that are widely cited is higher,” she said, referring to one of the requirements that would influence the rankings.

She also said universities need more citations for a higher standing in the rankings.（10.4.2025 https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com）

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