1. I once served as an Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor (DVC) of Student Affairs for nine months, while running the DVC Development office. The Boss decided to hand me the acting role in a meeting that I was late for. I am seldom late. No one wanted the job. Including me. 

Here’s why.  

2. I witnessed the political march to the University of Malaya’s Dewan Tunku Canselor (DTC) one fateful night. I saw how a peaceful rally turned ugly when crowds crashed through the University’s Main Gate.  

I saw how the Vice Chancellor (VC) at that time, one of the kindest persons you will ever meet, was literally being left alone to fend for the University.  

Parents, NGOs, the public, academics were on both sides of the fence in their opinion towards the rally.  

3. On one hand, in support of the march, there were calls to revive the old days of University life, with speaker’s corners, solidarity marches, free speech – those formative years of many politicians running the country – past and present. On the other, the advent of social media and alternative platforms allowed aspiring and seasoned leaders to freely express their views and frustrations. And to some, the nation was ‘comfortable’. What is there to fuss about. There was no need for a march. 
4. The VC was caught between obeying orders and upholding freedom of expression. He wanted to be kind and objective towards the organisers of the march. At the same time, he needed to ensure the safety of the thousands of students on campus who do not wish to be involved with the ensuing rally.  

There were debates on what constitutes academic freedom and free expression. What were the limits and what levels of accountability? What is the role of a University when faced with these questions? Do we commit resources to facilitate any forms of rallies and marches, or should we insist on more intellectual platforms such as open debates?    

What would you have done if you were in his shoes? 

All of us in the Management tried propping the VC. But deep down I knew that he would face this unfortunate event alone. Leaders share none of the glory, all the blame. It is lonely at the top. 

In his other life, the VC earns his trade as an ear, nose, and throat – ENT – specialist. He treats his patients with the care of a saint. He made it a point to visit every student and staff who were hospitalised, without fail. He visited me when I took some days off to care for my youngest who suffered from rota-virus infection. He was non-confrontational in nature, but being asked to do exactly the opposite. I have nothing but admiration and respect towards the Tan Sri.  

5. As for the rally, in the end, in trying to appease everyone, the University pleased no one. Indecision is worse than a bad decision and we paid the price for it. 

That night, as people rallied in darkness and speeches delivered, the VC was mercilessly ridiculed, and the University sensationally mocked. Among those who delivered the meanest insults were students. Our students. We were stupendously slaughtered. It was painful.  

6. The butchery did not stop there. On a separate occasion, and probably a different issue altogether, the DVC I was replacing once gifted a parang by students. A warning. We hate you. To us, your blood is halal. Resign. Oh-my-God. 

So yes. Who in their right mind would want to be the DVC of Student Affairs? 

7. You have to make do with the cards you were dealt with, and make the most of it.  

So I began my acting DVC role, full of apprehension and anxiety. But I was extremely fortunate. The late Tan Sri P Ramlee’s agaknya-saya-dilahirkan-semasa-bulan-terang kind of fortunate. If you are wondering what movie, here is another clue – Abang Jamil. Not Pak Maun.  

8. The team in student affairs was amazing, and very oddly, were a bunch of happy, smiley folks. There was a certain bounce to their demeanour, a contagious zing to their expressions when talking about students – past and present. They were switched on 24/7. They pull long hours and weekends. Perplexingly passionate. Unconditionally caring.  

I found out later that the student affairs folks in USM displayed the same symptoms and these were thoroughly tested and proven during the height of the pandemic. Pun intended. 

9. In all honesty, I did not understand this. They, more than anyone else in the University, were aware of the hurtful criticisms, accusations, mockery, and cynicisms levelled at them – towards them personally, or towards their student affairs division, or their boss the DVC, or the University. And yet, they carry no grudges.  
10. If you ask these folks why they behave the way they behave; you will also be struck by the consistency of their answer.  

The folks in student affairs witnessed, first hand, how students discover their true selves, realise their amazing potential, and went on to become a better version of themselves. Magnitudes better. Some, inspiringly better. Even those who earlier saw it fit to gift someone a parang.  

They find satisfaction in playing their respective part and in caring unconditionally. They were a friend in need, an older wiser sibling, a reassuring parent, all rolled into one. They found meaning in what they do. Happiness is fleeting. Meaning leads to true contentment and lasts a lifetime. Blessedness. 

11.  Safe people dare.  

When you are calm with the fact that you have a great team, and you make peace with the fact that five to 10 per cent of a given population will hate you as a leader and a person no matter what, and you take encouragement from the fact that the remaining 90 per cent would welcome positive change and would extend you the chance to prove yourself – you will be bolder in making decisions, and commissioning experiments. During my time as acting DVC, we conducted experiments on student empowerment. They were historic and of epic proportions.  

12. We were the first University in modern day higher education history to trust our students – undergraduates – to independently run the annual campus election. The students were mandated to: 

i) form an election commission comprising only students – never happened before,  

ii) propose changes to the rules and regulations of campus election – never happened before,  

iii) present the proposed changes to the Board of Directors of the University for approval – never happened before (in fact, undergraduates presenting in a University Board meeting is almost unheard of),  

iv) manage the various University agencies in support of the election – never happened before, and  

v) manage the election fully with financial support from the University – never happened before.  

The students on their part conducted engagements with the country’s Election Commission, political parties, NGOs, and their law lecturers.  

In the past, the University needed close to 200 administrators and various personnel to manage the one-day election to choose forty student representatives. The experiment saw this number reduced to just five. The election process was observed by representatives from SUHAKAM and many universities – public and private. The final results were announced in the wee hours of the next day. Unlike previous elections, this one registered zero complaints.  

13. We were also the first University to have allowed students to play a major role in choosing their college masters – Pengetua/Penggawa – and in deciding how the University spends the annual maintenance and upgrade budget for the various residential colleges.  

We asked student leaders to prepare questions for Pengetua candidates and we asked those candidates to answer them as part of our interview process. Students will then assess the answers – without knowing who the candidates were – and determine who they would like to be their Pengetua. The assessment was brutal. I remembered one candidate given 13 per cent out of a possible hundred. Scary.  

It turned out that there was a hundred per cent correlation between who ended up as Pengetua with the assessment made by these student leaders. It was mindboggling. 

14. We presented the proposed annual budget for each residential colleges and asked all students, via their respective leaders, to scrutinise the numbers and prioritise maintenance and upgrades. This was a controversial move and yet, in the end, there was a hundred per cent overlap between what students wanted and where money was spent.  
15. We went on to empower students to run coffee kiosks, University vehicles, and designated campus residences. We entrusted students – including postgraduates – to conduct biodiversity studies on areas earmarked for future developments. We wanted to know the price that needs to paid in terms of flora and fauna should we go ahead with the next car park, or shopping centre. Students and volunteers spearheaded the revival of the University’s polluted, left to rot, Varsity lake. These are snippets of the positive power and inspiring commitments of our students. Epic stuff.  

In USM, students run the University’s memorabilia shop called the Bricks, manage Beam e-scooters, launch rockets into space, man Covid19 Nerve Centre, offer helplines for stressed out colleagues, influence many on Being Human, and tutor a thousand poor performing SPM candidates from getting a series of Ds, Es, and Fs to passing the exam, some with straight As. Epic achievements.  
 

16. In the end, my views towards running the student affairs portfolio took a 180 degrees turn. I have since believed that there are more to our students than we allowed ourselves to see. I am all for trusting and empowering them. All for taking a chance on them. InshaaAllah they will surprise everyone.  
17. The many students who were involved in the projects I related went on to do great things. Upstanding citizens of our Tanahair. 

The student affairs staff who were there when they were most needed went on to trust and empower students more. They remain as jovial as ever. My utmost gratitude to them. They are simply inspiring unsung heroes of the University and our Tanahair. 

And most importantly, during that nine month, I did not receive a parang. Or anything suggesting a warning. Maybe I was born on a full moon. Agaknya saya dilahirkan semasa bulan terang.

For the first time in over 50 years, the UM campus election was independently run by students in 2019.