The former youth and sports minister said undergraduates should be allowed to choose whether they want to take compulsory subjects “that are not relevant” to their courses, citing law students learning Islamic civilisation as an example.

After making the call in the Dewan Rakyat last week, the Muar MP took to Facebook on Wednesday to list a string of subjects he wanted to see universities turn into electives: Malaysian studies, ethnic relations, ethics, citizenship and civilisation, philosophy and current issues, family, health and lifestyle, quantitative and qualitative reasoning, language, communication and literacy, and data management and analytics.

Speaking to FMT, Gerak chairman Zaharom Nain described Syed Saddiq’s disdain for those subjects as a “narrow view” of what a university education ought to be, stating that such courses are core to what a university education should be about.

“This narrow, utilitarian view of the university disregards the wider role of the university, primarily that of exploring knowledge, questioning available knowledge, and developing the human mind, potential and character,” he said.

“The underlying belief behind Syed Saddiq’s assertion – that the university is there to prepare labourers/workers for the market – is fundamentally flawed.”

Zaharom said links between science and technology and the human condition need to be impressed upon all students, since they help to develop well-rounded, thinking individuals, and “not robots”.

He said what makes courses relevant or not depends on the topic at hand.

The professor at University of Nottingham in Malaysia’s School of Media, Languages and Cultures said he is all for getting rid of what he termed “notorious” government-sanctioned and government-imposed “propaganda subjects” meant to brainwash students.

“Sure, let’s get rid of them, they have no place in any worthwhile university, public or private,” he said.

“But if they are subjects meant to broaden the mind of the students to, for example, help them appreciate the impact of what they are studying in engineering or the sciences on society, human beings and the environment, then of course, they need to be taught.

“An engineer who learns to construct bridges but doesn’t understand the implications of such bridges for human communication and the environment is not quite a wise engineer”.

Universiti Malaya Association of New Youth (Umany) president Wong Yan Ke also disagreed with having subjects such as philosophy and citizenship and civilisation being made electives.

The civil engineering graduate praised philosophy for teaching students the power of reasoning and critical thinking, and highlighted how citizenship and civilisation help students understand their roles as Malaysians and their relationship with the government.

“Is it our responsibility just to vote once in five years, and then that’s it? Or should we be involved in advocacy and activism to push for reformation and change?” he asked.

“Let’s say I am studying engineering. I shouldn’t necessarily be studying just mathematics and statistics. I also need to know what is happening in our country. Our mindset is quite narrow and we have no global or world view of many issues.”

Wong said that removing such subjects would see universities merely serve as platforms to train students to join the workforce, despite innovation and creativity being two skills which are highly prized by employers in the job market.

While he said certain content may be outdated or rigid, a revamp in the curriculum is better than turning the subjects into electives,

He said a lack of investment in liberal arts or philosophy can lead to “anti-intellectuals” who are easily persuaded by any argument.

Meanwhile, Higher Education Malaysia Association president and scholar Ooi Tze Howe said that in general, universities should be avenues for students to learn not only the core subjects related to their field of study, but also those that will complement them in their education and help them with problem-solving skills.

“I think that is still really important,” said the London School of Economics Chevening scholar.

While he does not deny that the compulsory subjects could be “a bit overwhelming”, he felt universities can add some flavour in the mix by offering students the chance to learn languages.

“We should leave it to students to choose based on their own interest,” he said.