DEFEND YOURSELVES, DON’T SHAME US – ACADEMICS GROUP SHOCKED & DISGUSTED AT GANG OF FOUR’S REFUSAL TO ATTEND ROME STATUTE FORUM

A GROUP of academics have challenged four public universities lecturers to defend themselves at a forum on the Rome Statute, after their presentation to the Malay rulers on the International Criminal Court (ICC) treaty was blamed for Putrajaya’s withdrawal from acceding to the international treaty.

Earlier this month, student activists had leaked the executive summary of a presentation by the academics to the Conference of Rulers, which argued that there were negative implications, particularly for Malaysia’s constitutional monarchs, on signing the treaty.

Critics have said the views in the presentation to the rulers were heavily slanted towards rejection of the Rome Statute.

In a statement today, a group of academics urged the four lecturers – Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Deputy Vice-Chancellor and law professor Rahmat Mohamad, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) law associate professor, Shamrahayu Abdul Aziz and Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM) law lecturers, Fareed Mohd Hassan and Hisham Hanapi – to defend and explain their views at a forum later this month.

“In April, nine student activists leaked to the online media and also through social media a document alleged to have been the executive summary of a presentation by four academics to the Council of Rulers,” the Malaysian Academic Movement (Gerak) said in the statement.

“Since then, the contents of the executive summary have been scrutinised and publicly critiqued by other academics, lawyers, and even the students and they have not countered these critiques.”

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad announcing the government’s withdrawal from acceding to the Rome Statute at the Prime Minister’s Office on April 5. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, April 20, 2019.

The group said the four lecturers have refused to respond to criticisms and calls to defend their stance, sparking concerns of academic integrity and accountability.

The Rome Statute forum, which is due to be held at Universiti Malaya on Saturday, April 27, will give the academics an opportunity to debate the issue.

“They have been as quiet as church mice in the public domain. Two have since declined – and the other two have not responded to invitations,”   said Gerak.

“The stage is indeed set for a productive teaching and learning session. In this regard, Gerak, as an academic organisation concerned about academic integrity and accountability, calls upon the four academics above, all from public universities funded by Malaysian taxpayers, to come and speak at this public forum, to debate their stand.

“Academics, like other professionals must defend the credibility and integrity of their work. Academic reputations – not only individual but also institutional – must be earned and upheld.”

So far five speakers have agreed to speak at the forum, including Attorney-General Tommy Thomas and renowned constitutional law expert Prof Shad Saleem Faruqi.

The forum organiser, Asheeq Ali Sethi Alivi has also invited the Crown Prince of Johor, Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, a vocal critic of the Rome Statute.

It is not known if Tunku Ismail will be attending to the forum.

THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT