Fear us as we fight back, academicians tell Putrajaya

Putrajaya has cause to be afraid as the sedition case against Universiti Malaya academician Azmi Sharom is inspiring other academicians to fight back, Malaysian Academic Movement (Move) said.

"Now they have to be worried and afraid that we are reacting over the suppression and oppression on us," Move chairperson Wan Manan Wan Muda said.

Wan Manan said this after the first day of the trial against the law lecturer in the Sessions Court in Kuala Lumpur today.

"Azmi's case has activated and raised consciousness within the academia, on the importance of knowledge, teaching and research.

"If you cannot even carry out simple university work... as an intellectual, scholar and student but you cannot voice out (in the university), then where else can you do it?" the Universiti Sains Malaysia Health Science professor asked.

“(We) have to fight, first within the university, then fight within the country to make things better for the future, so that our students can compete at the international level," Wan Manan said.

"This is a good jerk and wake up call to the academicians," he said.

Members of profession will voice out and write more about their struggle to achieve academic freedom, he said, and may also join forces with student groups.

"We have more faith in the students. The academicians of public universities are in a comfort zone," Wan Manan added.

Azmi is charged with sedition for his views on the Perak constitutional crisis that was published by the Malay Malil Online.

[More to follow]

-Mkini