NOV 4 — Education and knowledge is something that is very important to me. And equally important is the process of gaining it.
The recent issue with the International Islamic University’s (IIU or UIA) suspension of Prof Dr Abdul Aziz Bari is an embarrassment in my eyes.
An academic should be allowed to express his educated and intellectual views if so he wishes because it is his right and his responsibility to do so.
It is this right and responsibility of an academic that will lead to better educated students and a more civilised society.
If this right and responsibility is taken away from an academic, then the society that has done so would be a society that stifles intellectual development.
As an Islamic university (as its name suggests), should it not be more Islamic? Maybe I can assist by providing a particular quote by Prophet Muhammad:
“Whoever conceals knowledge would be muzzled on the Day of Resurrection with a muzzle of fire.”
What Malaysian universities are lacking, in my humble opinion, is a proper tenure system for academics that ensures their rights and responsibilities.
By having a tenure system, academics will be assured that they will be protected no matter what they say or express, albeit they are trusted as intellectuals.
Hence, tenures are usually given to senior academics and its purpose is to guarantee their right to academic freedom and thought.
This is to allow academics to conduct research and thought as well as to express their findings with full honesty, without fearing any negative effects (i.e. job security!).
Tenures also ensure that an academic institution maintains integrity in its grading system, and this is particularly important for private institutions.
What this means is that academics cannot be pressured by the administration to give higher grades in order to attract more students or to retain existing ones.
Speaking of students, I find it an embarrassment that Malaysia has the Universities and University Colleges Act that prohibits students from participating in anything political.
One of the reasons given by the government for the implementation of this Act is that students should not waste time with politics and focus more on their education.
Let me ask you this. How can you separate a student’s education, and intellectuality, from their natural desire to get involved in their own society’s political situation?
Does it not show a student’s intellectuality and desire for education if they feel they want to discuss, participate and contribute to the development of their own country?
Or, is the government really saying that Malaysian university students don’t really have the intellectual capability to participate in politics?
If this is the case, then the government would be implying that our university education system is not up to par in training intellectually capable students.
I applaud the IIU (or UIA) students who demonstrated their feelings when their respected professor was suspended by the administration.
I abhor the decision of Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) to threaten suspension on its student, Khalid Mohd Ismath, for writing about the issue on his blog.
I applaud the news regarding a particular decision made by the Kuala Lumpur Court of Appeal on the Universities and University College Act last Monday.
The three-man panel held that section 15(5)(a), which restricts students from expressing in support of, or opposing, any political party, is unconstitutional.
I applaud the Prophet Muhammad who once said:
“He is not from my followers, he who does not respect his elders, who does not show mercy to the young and who does not give due right to a scholar.”
* The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.
