Students protesting Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik’s appointment as the president of the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) are set to embark on a roadshow at universities nationwide.
Beginning next week at IIUM, they plan to visit Universiti Malaya, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Universiti Selangor (Unisel) as well as tertiary institutions in other states.
This is to raise awareness of the need for academic freedom, autonomy in universities as well as for the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 (UUCA) to be abolished.
The students, who previously gave Maszlee one week to resignfrom his IIUM post, said that they were disappointed at his refusal to heed their request.
They added that this issue will be highlighted as an example of the government’s political interference in universities.
Asheeq Ali Sethi Alvi, representing roadshow organisers Gabungan Pembebasan Akademik Institut Pengajian Tinggi (Coalition for academic freedom in public tertiary institutions), announced this at a press conference today.
“We see that Maszlee is not serious about returning autonomy to universities [...] so we will begin our series of explanations to mobilise more students to join us in demanding autonomy - which Harapan promised in pledge No. 50 of its election manifesto.
“[...] The Maszlee issue is symbolic and it threatens university autonomy. We will bring this discussion to the national level and to students,” Asheeq said.
Autonomy, he explained, means universities are given the freedom to operate without political interference.
“When Maszlee becomes the president of a university while holding party and cabinet posts, this directly contradicts autonomy and causes a conflict of interest,” Asheeq said at the Suaram office in Petaling Jaya.
The students vowed to continue pressuring for the resignation of Maszlee (photo), as well as his political secretary, Nizam Morad, who sits in the board of directors of Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM).
They had three more demands for Maszlee:
- To personally release a letter instructing all universities to guarantee academic freedom to all students, and guarantee that they will be free from interference from the ministry and the university administration.
- To establish a committee comprising university students and civil society for tertiary education issues.
- To present an action plan for how autonomy and academic freedom will be returned to students.
‘Maszlee a political appointee’
Maszlee previously explained that he could not turn down the IIUM appointment because he had been chosen by Pahang ruler Sultan Ahmad Shah on the advice of Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Today, a member of the academic freedom coalition Azura Nasron rejected this explanation.
“He (Maszlee) has the power and resources to turn down the appointment if he truly agreed to the principle of autonomy,” she said at the same press conference.
The fact that he was recommended by Mahathir further showed that Maszlee was a political appointee, added Asheeq.
“The issue is not that the sultan appointed him but that he (Maszlee) was appointed by the government,” he said.
Asheeq along with coalition member Siti Nurizzah Tazali were previously arrested after they staged a sit-in in front of the Education Ministry to protest Maszlee’s appointment. They were released on bail the same day.
Maszlee’s IIUM appointment on Sept 4 had also courted backlash from both Opposition and Harapan lawmakers.
Maszlee denied that his role contradicted the Harapan manifesto as IIUM was not bound by the UUCA but had its own constitution.
IUM too defended the appointment, saying Maszlee was well versed in the institution’s inner workings as a former member of its teaching staff.
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