Prof Aziz Bari has become a critical test case whether Malaysia is moving towards greater democrartisation, academic excellence and enhanced International oompetitiveness or the reverse.
The suspension of Aziz by IIUM could not have come at a worse time for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's National Transformation Programme whether government, economic or political.
It has firstly thrown into doubt Najib's political will, commitment and stamina whether the Prime Minister and his administration are prepared to see through the wide-ranging government, economic, educational and political reforms without which Malaysia stands no chance of escaping from two decades of middle-income trap, overtaken by one country after another most notably Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea.
Malaysia cannot expect to achieve the goal of a high-income developed nation unless and until we can produce world-class universities, not just in the eyes of Ministers but acknowledged internationally.
International academia will take note
The failure of any Malaysian university to get into the recently-released Times Higher Education (THE) World Top 400 Universities Ranking 2011-2012 is powerful testimony that Malaysia is not doing enough to train, retain and recruit talents to transform our economy into a knowledge economy so as to restore our international competitiveness.
The suspension and persecution of Aziz Bari for expressing his views and comments will be a message to the international academic community that Malaysia is not prepared to accept and respect academic freedom resulting in worsening of brain drain of Malaysian talents and condemning the Talents Corporation to failure to attract brain gain from the Malaysian diaspora and the world intellectual resources.
Politically, Aziz's suspension has come as a slap-in-the-face for Najib's recent claim of wanting to make Malaysia 'the best democracy in the world''. If Najib is sincere, then the curbs and fetters undermining academic freedom and excellence like the Universities and University Colleges Act should be repealed! But instead we have the Aziz Bari persecution - reminder that the undemocratic mentality and mindset of repression in key institutions in the country are still in full control of the levers of power despite all the sloganeering about democratization and political transformation.
Something fishy?
Why was Aziz Bari arbitrarily suspended at variance with Najib's call for democratisatio and government, economic and political transformation? Is Najib being sabotaged from inside his party and government?
Najib's should direct that the suspension of Aziz by IIUM be revoked immediately and cause an investigation why his call for democratization and government, economic and political transformation is being flouted so blatantly by his own subordinates in government and party!
Aliran: Action against Prof. Aziz Bari is “a mockery of intellectual freedom and integrity”
Aliran is outraged by the reported suspension of the constitutional law expert, Professor Abdul Aziz Bari, of the International Islamic University of Malaysia (UIA).
His suspension comes in the wake of his publicly expressed opinion regarding the recent decree by the Sultan of Selangor over the controversial Jais raid on the Damansara Utama Methodist Church.
Many Malaysians share his opinion and look up to him as a brave academic who did not betray his conscience in expressing an honest opinion without fear or favour. This intellectual freedom of expression must be the hallmark of an institution of higher learning. It is rare individuals like him who inspire students to speak the truth and defend what is right. He is an asset to IIUM.
The action taken by the university against the learned professor is baffling. The university isguilty of committing a serious travesty of justice as its action amounts to a denial of the right of academics to offer their expert opinions on matters that they specialises in and are concerned about.
It is expected of the professor to share his knowledge and expertise with the rest of us. That is the primary purpose in recruiting the best lecturers to teach and mold our youngsters to be responsible citizens.
If anyone disagrees with his view, he or she should do it intellectually and in a civilised manner to enhance an understanding of the issue at hand for both the academic fraternity and the larger community. A sledgehammer such as the Sedition Act should not be used to suppress healthy discussion.
It has not been proven that his views are invalid and without merit. Malaysians should be told why his views are wrong. We should indeed start a debate to discuss this issue in a civilised manner as befitting a civil society.
Equally important, the university’s action makes a mockery of the notion of intellectual freedom and integrity that a university worth its salt is supposed to promote and protect. If this important value is not protected and guarded, what is the worth of a university?
Besides, the measure of an intellectually vibrant institution of higher learning is recognised and honoured when there are open discussions, debates and dissenting opinions. The prevalence of a lacklustre follow-me mentality — symptomatic of the larger political and feudalistic culture — will be the death knell of a university.
Aliran calls upon the IIUM authorities to lift the professor’s suspension immediately and cease all other similar actions that would only smear and sully the university’s academic reputation.
I recently returned from my first trip to India where I spoke on communication and conflict mastery in Mumbai, Bangalore and Delhi. I was told the trip would be life changing. It was.
At least with the people I met, hidden agendas were nowhere to be found. Even the beggars and people who pushed their products, monkeys, cobras and small children on their arms on me had no hidden agendas. What a contrast from looking into another American's eyes and nearly always sensing some personal agenda and effort to manipulate or at least maneuver you to get their way.
The respect and desire to be of service was also remarkable and the greetings and farewells of, "Namaste," so sincere. India has a culture of service and giving which would never play in contemporary America (which is more of a culture of selling and taking), possibly because Americans equate being of service with servitude and being in a "one down" submissive position. Also the genuine smiles of happiness regardless of status or cast at being able to be of service was in stark contrast to what I see in America.
I think this might be due to the fact that when you are focused on and even honored to be of service (it took me a while to realize that every smile was not an oblique request for a tip, but merely a facial and verbal expression of gratitude) you feel free of feelings of jealousy, envy, "zero sum" thinking or having to practice deception and manipulation to get what you want.
I think much of it comes from their Hindu traditions and beliefs. I also think much of it comes from how clearly dependent upon each other -- be it for survival or success -- they all know they are. Finally I think much of it must come from the way scooters, motorcycles (carrying as many as a family of five), auto-rickshaws (carrying as many as 20), cars, tractors, horse and cow driven carts, bulls and wild emaciated dogs, all ages of people (including unaccompanied three-year olds) walking in between the traffic, drivers disregarding lanes and even direction, all work together in a kind of controlled chaos (as a medical doctor it made me think of how our differently bodily organs must interact with each other... how do a gall bladder, liver and GI tract really get along?). The cat-like reflexes of everyone are something to behold.
On my nine-hour round trip drive from Delhi to Agra to see the Taj Mahal, I am convinced that I would have killed at least 50 people had I been driving. It was more than worth the 1,000 rupees (slightly more than $20 U.S.) tip I gave my driver at the end (which represented two-thirds of a month's pay for him).
What had the most profound effect on me was visiting the National Gandhi Museum which was built upon the site of his assassination. As I walked through the museum I grabbed some photos of some of his wisdom which seems more apropos than ever.
I think my greatest takeaway from India is that since America wasn't happy with more, it's ridiculous to think that it will be happy with less. If instead, America can derive and feel the pleasure in being of service coincident with the relief from greed, jealousy, envy, and having to connive and manipulate that doing so offers, we will learn to be happier, and BTW the rest of the world will learn to be happier with us.
Namaste!
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