According to Malaysian Insider report 22nd Oct there seems to be a flip flop going on in IIUM. The Rector now says that Prof Aziz Bari is free to enter the University to associate with faculty. This is inconsistent with what Aziz Bari says- that his suspension letter clearly stipulates that he cannot enter IIUM premises, conduct business or contact staff during suspension with the law dean’s permission. And the Prof has a black and white letter to prove what he says. This flip flop shows a changing scenario and IIUM and its Rector being clearly now under “pressure” instead. Instead of investigating Aziz Bari and asking him to show cause under article 15 of IIUM’s Staff Disciplinary Rules (2005) the tables are turned when the controversy of his suspension blows up that now puts public presure and legal onus on IIUM and its Rector to show cause why they have taken this knee jerk suspension course.

As chancellor of UTP, Tun Dr Mahathir gave his two sen worth when he opined that Aziz’s statement on Jais-church issue was disrespectful of Ruler and “contrary to Eastern moral values” (read “feudal values”). Of course BN’s MPs jump into the bandwagon to protest in parliament. They always do to show that they are loyal to feudal values which underpin UMNO’s power base. However that’s just politic rhetoric. They bear no relation to either logic or law or even common sense. Where IIUM/Rector has put themselves (from now on) in untenable position is that they have in knee jerk fashion taken action based on what BN politicians said (for their own political agenda) without factoring in wider implications, ie that (i) there is no infringement of IIUM’s disciplinary rules; that (ii) such action will cause and have now caused other academics and student to protest its action under the banner of academic freedom and maintenance of our tertiary/universities standards whose ranking are fast falling to the abyss; (iii) the disciplinary action is contrary to PM Najib’s electoral pitch to be seen committed to democratization by recent repeal of ISA and EO legislations.

Let me just say this: Academic Freedom is a core value in Universities of Higher learning. In Malaysia, yes Academic Freedom is pervasively curtailed and abridged by our University and University Colleges Act (UUCA) which prohibits university staff/students from participating in politics ie joining nd campaigning for political parties (though nothing wrong if they express political views). However here Aziz Bari is not held to account for violating UUCA. It is not politically partisan. What he commented is a public issue within his field of academic research and work which is permitted and does not constitute an infraction of the very IIUM’s Staff disciplinary Rules which were invoked against him for the suspension. Like Newton’s Law the action of suspension (if not justifiable by UUCA or IIUM’s Disciplinary rules) will turn table and cause a very negative reaction on the Rector and IIUM’s administrators for instituting in a cavalier fashion action that places IIUM in negative light vis-a-vis tertiary instituions’ core value of Academic freedom. In the premises they should on te contrary show cause why they should be allowed to stay in the position for error of judgment placing IIUM’s interest and repute in jeopardy.