University lifts Aziz Bari's suspension

The Universiti Islam Antarabangsa (UIA) has lifted its suspension order with immediate effect against law professor Abdul Aziz Bari today.

According to his lawyer Zulqarnain Lukman, he received a letter from the university informing him that his client is requested to report to the dean of the law faculty tomorrow.

The lawyer confirms that this means that Abdul Aziz (left) can resume work tomorrow, but he will first have to hear the results of the investigations against him.

The letter received by Zulqarnain states that investigations are still ongoing because the university needed time to deliberate on Abdul Aziz’s reply to a show-cause letter.

Abdul Aziz's reply was submitted at 2.30pm today, ahead of the deadline tomorrow, while the letter which stated the lifting of the suspension was received by fax four hours later.

He was informed of his suspension in a show-cause letter issued last Wednesday for allegedly “making statements that run contrary to the interests of the university”.

Zulqarnain believes that the lifting of the suspension was a result of pressure from the university staff, students, academics, Deputy Higher Education Minister Saifuddin Abdullah and the public.

“I was at the professor’s office today and I saw posters (above) in support of my client all over the faculty,” he told Malaysiakini.

Computer seized

The police had brought Abdul Aziz to his office this afternoon to take photographs of the room and seize his laptop computer.

“All this was done for the police to complete investigations and resubmit the investigations papers to the Selangor deputy public prosecutor,” said Zulkarnain.

He explained that the computer was UIA property.

Abdul Aziz's ordeal began soon after senator Mohd Ezam Noor lodged a police report against him and this news organisation for insulting Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah.

This was in reference to Abdul Aziz's comment on Malaysiakiniwhere he said the monarch's decree on the results of the Selangor religious authorities raid on a church in early August was unconventional and inconsistent.

After the police and Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) beganinvestigations against Abdul Aziz, the university followed up with the show-cause letter.

This has been heavily condemned by academics and students who claim that this was a move to stifle academic freedom.

The incident had also prompted students to plan a demonstrationagainst Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak tomorrow to call for a review of rules controlling the universities.