anntan@thestar.com.my
GEORGE TOWN: Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) should have sacked its two lecturers for plagiarising materials from the Internet to produce a guidebook.Deputy Chief Minister II Dr P. Ramasamy, a former Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) political science professor, said the stern warning issued to them was not good enough.
“Plagiarism is the most serious ‘crime’ in a university.
“I once came across a lecturer who was involved in plagiarism in UKM but the only action taken against him was to freeze his promotion and pay rise.
“He later went to teach in another university and was promoted to professor,” he said at a press conference at Komtar on Wednesday.
He was commenting on a recent report in The Star quoting UPM vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Nik Mustapha R. Abdullah as saying that the warning would be included in their service records, which would affect their promotion.
He had said no one would be suspended but they have to return any royalty received.
Dr Ramasamy, who is also the state Economic Planning, Education and Human Resources, Science, Technology and Innovation Committee chairman, said the Higher Education Ministry should set up a special committee to investigate the issue of plagiarism.
“Otherwise, students will follow (this example) and become copycats since their own lecturers did the same.
“The cases of plagiarism among students in universities, be it public or private universities, have been very rampant over these years and it is sad that we closed the matter like that,” he said.
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