KUALA LUMPUR – To return “the spirit of academia” to public higher learning institutions, Putrajaya is looking to make sure lecturers are given the ecosystem to operate like academics instead of public servants, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir said.
Speaking to the Dewan Rakyat, Zambry said that currently, public higher-learning institutions operate under the framework of statutory bodies, suggesting that their staff are thus considered civil servants who could be subject to certain restrictions regarding freedom of speech.
Noting that there could be civil servant circulars limiting what an individual can or cannot say, Zambry mentioned that measures are being taken to ensure that these instructions are applied in the context of academia in universities.
“I am trying to make sure that there is no climate of fear in universities.
“Lecturers also can’t be seen as civil servants who clock in at 8am and clock out at 5pm.
“Academics involve teaching and research and they need the right ecosystem. We are working to bring back the spirit of academia which would allow them to have open discussions,” Zambry told parliament today.
However, Zambry also said academic freedom during open discussions should be based on facts and cautioned lecturers from issuing “populist” statements “such as claiming that Siti Khadijah originally being from Kedah”. It is believed to be that he was referring to alleged claims by International Islamic University Malaysia lecturer Solehah Yaacob.
The minister’s comments were in response to a question by Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah who asked the Higher Education Ministry if there are measures to ensure incidents such as the case of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) prohibiting its staff from making public statements from happening again.
Last week, a copy of a UKM circular dated October 8 which instructed staff to refrain from making statements that could undermine government policies or embarrass government entities, made rounds on social media.
In a Facebook post on October 17, UKM responded to the matter mentioning that they do not restrict the freedom of speech of its members in expressing statements, whether orally or in writing, including on social media.
The university said they welcome any differences in opinion that benefit society and the nation. – October 24, 2024