Former Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah has stepped forward explaining his reasons for resigning his post as a Universiti Malaya (UM) senior research fellow following the allegedly forced resignation of the Arts and Social Sciences dean and head of the UM Centre for Democracy and Elections (UMcedel), Professor Datuk Dr Mohamad Redzuan Othman.
In a show of solidarity with Redzuan, and to protest the limitations imposed on academic freedoms, Saifuddin – an UMNO member and head of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s Global Movement of Moderates initiative – resigned from his UM position based on knowledge he says he had of “orders from certain quarters in the Education Ministry”.
Saifuddin told Elizabeth Zachariah of The Malaysian Insider that he had learnt of the ministry’s hand in Redzuan’s exit two months ago.
“I knew about this from the beginning. I know Professor Redzuan was called by the management of the university and he was informed that the Education Ministry was not very happy with him and he was asked to resign,” the former Umno Supreme Council member said, adding that he later confirmed this with the university’s vice-chancellor (VC).
“To the best of my knowledge, the VC was contacted by someone from the ministry and the message was that Redzuan should not continue as the director of UMcedel.”
Saifuddin stressed that he had to take a stand on the issue as he believed academic freedom and quality, unity and combating corruption cannot be compromised.
“When it comes to things like academic quality and freedom, these are some things you cannot compromise. You have to take a stand,” he said.
“They are also fundamental. One simply cannot look at these things from a partisan perspective.”
During his tenure as Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Saifuddin had previously defended constitutional law expert Dr Aziz Bari in a similar case when the academic was suspended from his position at the International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM). In that case, Aziz had questioned the Sultan of Selangor’s decree in the raid of the Damansara Utama Methodist Centre in October 2011.
“It was okay for IIUM to investigate him. That is fair and part of governance. But before police could finish conducting their probe, he was suspended and not allowed into the campus compound.
“He is not a criminal. It was as though he was already guilty,” Saifuddin said.
Saifuddin, however, said that he would not leave Umno, a component party of the Barisan Nasional coalition.
“No, I don’t think so. I always believed there is nothing in Umno or BN that cannot be corrected by what is right.
“I understand that you have to follow the party line. But there are certain things that are dear to me personally such as education. If incidents like this happen, you cannot toe the party line,” said Saifuddin who is also the National Unity Consultative Council member.
See Also:
UM professor ordered to resign for political research; former Education Deputy Minister quits too
Universiti Malaya denies Prof Redzuan’s resignation was due to political pressure
