The DAP today criticised UM's removal of two of its deputy vice-chancellors, following several controversies involving student freedom. – The Malaysian Insider pic, January 23, 2015.Instead of Universiti Malaya (UM) deputy vice-chancellors (VC) taking the fall, its VC Professor Datuk Dr Mohd Amin Jalaludin and Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin should be the ones to resign from their positions for their continued political interference in the country’s oldest university, DAP said today.Its parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang said that the two deputy VCs – Professor Dr Mohd Hamdi Abd Shukor and Professor Datuk Dr Rohana Yusof – should not be made sacrificial victims in Putrajaya’s tactics to stifle dissent."If anybody should quit their posts, it is the education minister for continued political interference in academic freedom and excellence in UM, and VC who had dismally failed to stand up for UM's academic staff and students against such political interference by the politicians from Putrajaya," he said in a statement today.The Gelang Patah MP pointed out that UM, which was once among the world's leading universities, had fallen off its pedestal and was now trailing far behind varsities in Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Australia."The greatest tragedy of UM is that it has fallen from the pedestal as one of the leading universities even in the 60s and 70s, left far behind by its earlier peers and even equals among other national universities."There are no signs that UM is on the bend to restore her prestigious position for academic freedom and excellence some 40 years ago," he added.However, Putrajaya seemed to be training their efforts on silencing the voices of dissent among the university's population, be it staff or students, Lim said."There are unending efforts by the bureaucrats in Putrajaya... wanting them (UM staff and students) to abandon their idealism and to accept uncritically the status quo in the country – which is in fact robbing the country of the best in idealism and constructive ideas among the most educated and young generation of Malaysians," he said.He was commenting on The Malaysian Insider's report today morning on the impending replacement of Hamdi, who is the deputy VC in charge of academic and international.He was reported as not receiving an extension on his contract.Rohana, who is in charge of student affairs, is also said to be replaced for "being too lenient with students".Putrajaya was said to have refused to renew Hamdi's contract because he allegedly did not support Umno.His three-year contract as deputy VC ended on December 31 last year and he is now just a lecturer at UM's Faculty of Engineering.Three weeks after he vacated office, UM has yet to appoint a new deputy VC for academic affairs.Rohana is said to be replaced over recent incidents involving student and academic freedom. Under Rohana’s watch, students had forced their way past campus gates on October 27 last year to hold a banned talk featuring opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.Students had also gathered on campus in November last year to protest the disciplinary action taken against eight of their peers who had organised the said talk.The varsity is no stranger to controversies after coming under fire last year for removing Professor Datuk Dr Redhuan Othman as director of UM's Centre for Democracy and Elections (Umcedel) as his research left the ruling parties unhappy.Lim today urged the Cabinet to look into reversing the moves against the two deputy VCs at its meeting next Wednesday."The universities in the country must be an arena for the contest of ideas and not for the continued suppression of ideas."This is for the sake of the country, to ensure our university's excellence and continued competitiveness, and not for the sake of Umno or Barisan Nasional," he added. – January 23, 2015.
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