Students: Cheating an open secret
New Straits Times
Several students have shot down claims by three university dons that students were not hiring writers to pen the thesis for their master's and PhD programmes.
A student at Universiti Malaya said it was an open secret that some students had phantom writers to do their homework.
"Most do their own homework or seek advice from lecturers. These are hardworking students.
"But I know students who have asked someone else to do it. They hire former students who know what the lecturer wants," said Jane, a third- year student in business studies.
She said those who could not afford professional writers plagiarised others' work.
Two days ago, Universiti Malaya vice-chancellor Datuk Rafiah Salim, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia vice-chancellor Professor Mohd Zulkifli Mohd Ghazali and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia vice-chancellor Professor Datuk Dr Sharifah Hapsah Shahabudin insisted that there were no such practices among their students due to stringent checks and procedures.
A student at Universiti Putra Malaysia said her husband, who was then her boyfriend, did her assignments.
"I would do the assignments that had to be presented in class but my boyfriend did those which were to be handed up to the lecturer.
"I knew there were writers who offered such services. There are students who go to them. But the number is small," she said.
A college student said such practices were rampant in private colleges.
"Most of these students have money and hire someone else to do their work. It is an open secret."
