YOURSAY | ’History cannot be written according to one's whims and fancies.’

UPM must probe Malay junk paper after museum's rebuttal - historian

Hrrmph: I hope that Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) will heed the call to investigate the paper on Malay maritime history “The Jongs and The Galleys: Traditional Ships of The Past Malay Maritime Civilization” published in the International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, Vol 13, Issue 11, 2023.

It was written by two of their academics, Rozita Che Rodi and Hashim Musa, who are accused of misrepresenting facts.

Keep in mind that their integrity as a university is at stake. Defending their researchers blindly is not how they maintain their integrity.

Instead, they should ensure their researchers are not lying instead of bolstering their reputation.

One way to regain their reputation is to dismiss those who were found lying. It will show that UPM only wants the highest standards for their academics.

It will bolster their reputation and maintain the integrity of the other academics at the university.

Failure to act will taint everyone at the university, including the degrees they give to their students.

With such abysmal disregard for the integrity of research papers issued by their academics, would anyone believe the research papers or degree to be worth anything?

If such reprehensible conduct is tolerated, what are they teaching the students there?

MarioT: It is the fault of the education system. History books used in our primary and secondary schools are known to have many factual errors.

They are meant to glorify a certain race. When such errors were pointed out, they were brushed aside as printing errors.

Historian Ranjit Singh Malhi himself has previously pointed out such factual errors and provided us with accurate historical facts.

History cannot be written according to one's whims and fancies. Ignorance is bliss to the half-baked.

Do not expect any action as mediocracy and failures are treated as great achievements in this land of endless possibilities.

Cogito Ergo Sum: Ranjit, the university authorities will insist their academic staff are right and the rest of the world is wrong.

The damage to their reputation as well as Malaysia’s will be impossible to salvage if they admit their researchers are wrong.

They begin with the premise that no one knows their history as well as they do. Foreigners have no nationalistic stake in the history of our nation.

Therefore, they must be wrong. Where do you go from there?

World Citizen: This is the problem that has been going on for some time now in this country.

So-called scholars have been distorting historical facts so much so that the real history of Malaya/Malaysia is hardly recognisable.

Few generations of Malaysians have been learning distorted history very different from what the older generations studied. Just talk to the young people of Malaysia today.

They don't know about Parameswara or, for that matter, even the more recent events like the Japanese occupation and the communist insurgency. It is because of people like these two UPM “scholars”.

It’s just appalling and the nation is subject to more ridicule from renowned world historians like Serge Jardin.

Justice: Academicians should never cheat in their research work because if they do, it will be discovered, sooner or later.

In this case, the article on their research was alleged to be peer-reviewed.

UPM has also defended the two academics. However, facts in their article have been called into question and some of their claims have been proven to be false.

So, who were their peers who did the said "peer review" of said article? What were the basis or grounds relied upon by UPM in defending the said article?

GrayParrot9290: The Education Ministry or Higher Education Ministry have to take measures where this case is concerned and prevent future cases such as this from happening.

Mistakes like these will tarnish Malaysian education's image internationally.

The Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) should also step in and audit all the universities’ standards.

Just a Malaysian: In Singapore, PhD students are put under an established professor in their respective field.

They cannot just apply to do a PhD and submit a thesis without an experienced mentor. That's why they only produce limited but very high-standard academics.

Over here, everything is obtained easily.

Hmmmmmmmm: I wonder what would have happened if the French historian had not pointed out the “mistake”.

It would have presumably entered UPM's library to be used as a reference for future academics.

I wonder now if there are any reference books in their libraries that are based on fiction.

HJ Angus: UPM faces grave damage to its reputation if it does not take a more proactive role in this dispute.

I'm sure the university would have spent a lot of money to receive its ISO Quality Certification.

Simply denying or pretending everything is fine is certainly a bad response.

BrownMacaw9225: For the interest of UPM and the country, it is best to resolve the matter by withdrawing the write-up or thesis publicly.

This will prevent the good name of UPM from being dragged down further. To err is human. Right now, it is a matter of acknowledging the mistake.

Apanama is back: Ranjit, it is all about the lack of integrity in our education system. Integrity is something a majority of academicians in our institution of higher learning find difficult to practice.

Once integrity is compromised, we will see this kind of deliberate professional dishonesty in academic publications.

Will UPM conduct a probe? UPM has already defended the two researchers.

There won't be any more probes. There will be a deafening silence until this matter is forgotten.

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