Tindakan Universiti Islam Antarabangsa (UIA) menggantung pakar
perlembagaan terkemuka Prof Dr Abdul Aziz Bari amat mendukacitakan.
UIA, sebagai sebuah institusi pengajian tinggi yang bertaraf
antarabangsa, sepatutnya mempertahankan hak ahli akademik menyuarakan pendapat dan idea.
Malangnya, universiti tersebut bukan sahaja gagal mempertahankan Dr Aziz apabila beliau diserang oleh ahli politik dan media UMNO, tetapi sebaliknya menggantung beliau pada hari ini.
Dengan mengambil tindakan ini, UIA terbukti mementingkan agenda
politik UMNO. ”Transformasi” yang sering dilaung-laungkan oleh
Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak jelas merupakan janji-janji
kosong.
Universiti-universiti sepatutnya menggalakkan perkongsian pendapat dan debat untuk membuka minda masyarakat sejagat. Jika seorang ahli akademik yang dihormati dihukum kerana memberi ulasan dalam bidang beliau, maka semua ahli akademik secara tidak langsung akan disunyikan.
Tindakan menggantung Dr Aziz ini merupakan bukti jelas mengapa tahap kecermelangan institusi pengajian tinggi di Malaysia tetap merudum.
Saya menggesa UIA untuk menarik balik penggantungan ini dengan
serta-merta. Hak kebebasan akademia mesti dipertahankan.
YB ELIZABETH WONG
——
20 October 2011
The decision by the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM)
to suspend the renowned constitutional law expert Prof Dr Abdul Aziz
Bari is very disappointing.
As an international institution of higher learning, IIUM should be
defending the right of its academics to voice their opinions and
ideas.
Unfortunately, not only did IIUM fail to defend Dr Aziz when he was
attacked by UMNO politicians and media, it has chosen instead to
suspend him today.
With this, it is obvious that IIUM prioritises the UMNO political
agenda. The “transformation” so often touted by the Prime Minister
Datuk Seri Najib Razak has been proven to be empty slogans devoid of
sincerity.
Universities ought to be encouraging debate and the sharing of ideas
and opinion for the benefit of society as a whole. If a respected
academician such as Dr Aziz is punished for commenting on a matter
related to his expertise, then all academics will be cowed into
silence.
The suspension of Dr Aziz clearly proves why the rankings of our
institutions of higher learning continue to drop. I call on IIUM to
withdraw the suspension immediately. Academic freedom must be
defended.
YB ELIZABETH WONG
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