PhD holders to be on higher scale - Star

PUTRAJAYA: July 26, 2008

New lecturers with PhD qualifications who are hired by public universities will be placed straight on the higher DS51 grade.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said previously they had to start on the DS45 grade like other new lecturers.

“We feel that candidates with PhD qualifications can further strengthen the quality of teaching and learning at public universities,” he said before Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi presented the National Academic Award 2007 here yesterday.

There are presently 23,567 lecturers in 20 public universities nationwide.

On another matter, Mohamed Khaled said the ministry would be submitting a progress report on the implementation of the National Higher Education Strategic Plan to the Cabinet next week.

“It will then be made public,” he said.

Abdullah later presented the National Academic Award 2007 to former Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) vice-chancellor Emeritus Prof Tan Sri Dr Syed Jalaludin Syed Salim.

Other award recipients were Prof Dr Onn Hashim from Universiti Malaya for Research Article Award, Assoc Prof Dr Nordin Hussin from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia for Book Published Award, Assoc Prof Dr Syed Omar Syed Rastan from UPM for the Innovation and Commercialised Product Award, and Assoc Prof Zulkifli Yusoff from Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris for the Art and Creativity Award.