Intimidation will not support student learning

When it was announced that the Islamic civilization and Asian studies, or Titus, will of course be made mandatory for students in private universities in Malaysia, it caused a storm of controversy.
Public universities in Malaysia have already been authorized to teach Titus all its students. The move to extend this to private universities is controversial as private universities are believed to have greater autonomy.
Titus is a course that teaches about Islam, Malay, Indian, Chinese and Western civilizations - the ethnic configuration in Malaysia (except the western part). Content is historical, talk about "how we got here" - which should be covered in high school.
Surprisingly, some members of the opposition as mercury Raffia Ramble, not only accepted it, but obviously supported the move, citing the need for greater intercultural understanding in multiethnic Malaysia.

Ironically, most politicians who support mandatory application of Titus are those who have studied in the West - when forced rates different from those integral to the extent that are unheard of.
Titus debate is crucial, since it represents the extent to which the government is able to intervene in the operation of private universities.
If the government is empowered to compel private universities like University Malaysia Campus Nottingham to force all students - including foreign students - to do this, of course, it would undermine the independence of private institutions and, perhaps more importantly, to students.
Such a threat to freedom student would have been unthinkable in a Western country and will most likely be met by street protests, just as when tuition fees have come in the UK. In lethargic Malaysia was greeted by a lackluster debate.
Without any public discussion, it appears that the Malaysian government is stubborn transaction stone.
Cosmetic solution
Titus obvious point is that this is a smokescreen for basic, fundamental issues that beset this nation. It is essential that we take a brief look at the structural problems in Malaysia.
Positive policies that benefit from Bumiputera - sons of the soil, a term used to refer to the Malay race and other indigenous peoples of Southeast Asia - still stand, although imposed since 1970, almost 40 years.
Racial inequality of wealth is still widespread. Vernacular schools - a bastion of segregation - are alive and healthy. Civil service is bloated with one ethnic group. Deserving students from secondary are ruthlessly denied places in local universities by virtue of their ethnicity.
Against this background, the performance of Titus makes a mockery of all ethnic problems Malaysia faces. What is taught in the classroom corresponded reality lived.
Instead of trying to initiate a debate on the problems we have, we force students to feel they need to embrace each other and the knives are still sticking to our backs. Real understanding comes only through trying to solve our structural issues.