It is now about 18 months since this regime came to power through the backdoor and formed a new, bloated, yet generally-ineffective, Cabinet.
akademikmalaysia
SATU RUANG UNTUK PARA AKADEMIK
26 July 2021
GERAK statement on the crisis of leadership in Malaysian Higher Education
23 July 2021
CAMPUR TANGAN POLITIK DALAM PENGURUSAN INSTITUSI PENGAJIAN TINGGI
Kenyataan Media
21 Julai 2021
CAMPUR
TANGAN POLITIK DALAM PENGURUSAN
INSTITUSI
PENGAJIAN TINGGI
GERAK merujuk
kepada surat terbuka Persatuan Staf Akademik Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin
(PSA UniSZA) bertarikh 18 Julai 2021 mengenai arahan penahanan tugas naib
canselor UniSZA oleh pengerusi Lembaga Pengarah UniSZA.
GERAK menyokong
saranan yang dibuat oleh PSA UniSZA agar semua pihak bertindak mengikut lunas
undang-undang, terutamanya Perlembagaan UniSZA. Tidak ada pihak yang boleh
bertindak melebihi undang-undang.
GERAK hairan
mengapa tidak ada lantikan pemangku naib canselor. Sesebuah universiti tidak
patut dibiarkan beroperasi tanpa seorang ketua.
Merujuk kepada
Akta Universiti dan Kolej Universiti, kuasa perlantikan naib canselor sesebuah
universiti awam terletak kepada Menteri Pengajian Tinggi. Maka, kepada dialah
kuasa untuk menahan kerja atau menamatkan perkhidmatan seseorang naib canselor.
Tidak ada individu lain yang mempunyai kuasa yang sama. Pihak lain tidak patut buat
keputusan menahan kerja seseorang naib canselor, hingga menganggu pengurusan
sesebuah universiti.
Episod ini
merupakan kesinambungan kepada beberapa episod yang menunjukkan campurtangan
pihak luar di dalam pengurusan universiti. Autonomi universiti, kebebasan
akademik dan kesepakatan (collegiality) langsung tidak dihormati.
Dalam bulan Jun
2021 sahaja, antara tajuk berita yang menunjukkan perlekehan autonomi
universiti adalah:
a) Pelajar perubatan dakwa tak dibenar duduki peperiksaan (Berita Harian,
14 Jun 2021)
b) Minister accuses UM of taking matters into own hands by barring medical
student who refused Covid-19 jab from exam (Malay
Mail, 15 Jun 2021)
c) Lantikan politik jejaskan wibawa, imej universiti (Malaysiakini, 23 June
2021)
Ekoran dari ini, GERAK
menuntut semua pihak agar menghayati dan menghormati konsep-konsep autonomi
universiti, kebebasan akademik dan kesepakatan, agar segala operasi universiti
berjalan lancar tanpa sebarang gangguan. Ini termasuk pihak luar yang nampaknya
teringin berkuasa di dalam universiti.
Kecemerlangan
sesebuah universiti tidak hanya begantung kepada penarafan dunia yang
diperolehinya. Kecemerlangan universiti juga bergantung kepada tahap autonomi
universiti dan kebebasan akademik di sesebuah universiti.
MAJLIS KERJA GERAK
(GERAK EXECUTIVE COUNCIL)
21
Julai 2021
https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/580097
05 July 2021
Joint Press Statement, 4 July 2021
04 July 2021
JOINT MEDIA STATEMENT 2 JULY 2021
CIJ, FFN AND PARTNERS STRONGLY CONDEMN RAIDS
AGAINST FILMMAKER AND ARTIST
The Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ), Freedom Film Network (FFN) and partners are appalled by and strongly condemn ongoing efforts by the police to intimidate and persecute Freedom Film Network (FFN) and animator/artist, Amin Landak over the animated film, “Chilli Powder and Thinner”. The film illustrates the true story of a boy’s testimony of being tortured while being in police custody. FFN co-founder Anna Har and Amin went to the federal police headquarters in Bukit Aman at 2.30pm today to have their statements taken in connection with the film. They finished giving their statements to the police and left Bukit Aman at about 4.10pm. Nevertheless, the police raided the FFN office and Amin’s home all the same.
The Malaysian police are clearly on a rampage against FFN over the animated short film, which depicts police officers torturing and abusing individuals in custody in Malaysia. This investigation, and related raid, contributes to a broader pattern of authorities attempting to quell allegations of police misconduct. Police brutality and abuse of power have been topics of heated discussion online, but authorities routinely silence such discourse by threatening individuals with a criminal investigation.
Retaliatory investigations against human rights defenders, artists and journalists for raising attention to violations of basic human rights show the dire need to protect freedom of expression and ensure police officers in Malaysia are held accountable for any instances of misconduct. The police must be open to public scrutiny and the demand for transparency, while adherence to rule of law must always be upheld. Initiating an investigation merely on the account that a particular incident negatively portrays the police is unwarranted and a serious violation of our constitutional guarantees of freedom of expression and speech.
We, therefore, call for the following measures to be adopted by the State:
● Drop all investigations and stop all acts of intimidation and adverse actions against Anna Har, FFN, Amin Landak, whistleblowers, and others associated with the animated short film;
● Establish the Independent Police Complaints of Misconduct Commission (IPCMC), with no further delays, so that police accountability and professionalism is always upheld.
It is incumbent on the government to ensure that they act now and not be complicit in allowing freedom of expression and speech and artistic freedom in Malaysia to be censored or penalised, and where artists and filmmakers operate within a climate of fear. If this practice is not halted, our democracy will be at threat and political priorities will continue to prevail over the public interest.
2 July 2021
Issued by: Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) and Freedom Film Network
Endorsed by the following organisations with common interest in promoting FoE:
1. Amnesty International Malaysia
2. C4 Center
3. Gerakan Media Merdeka (GERAMM)
4. Justice for Sisters
5. KRYSS Network
6. Sisters in Islam
7. Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM)
8. Agora Society Malaysia
9. Aliran
10. Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (ABIM)
11. Angkatan Mahasiswa UM
12. Association of Women Lawyers (AWL)
13. Baramkini
14. Beyond Architecture Outlet (BAO)
15. Beyond Borders Malaysia
16. Citizens against Enforced Disappearances (CAGED)
17. Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih 2.0)
18. Demokrat Kebangsaan
19. Demokrat UKM
20. Demokrat UM
21. Eliminating Deaths and Abuse in Custody (EDICT)
22. EMPOWER Malaysia
23. ENGAGE
24. Family Frontiers Malaysia
25. Five Arts Centre
26. Function 8 Singapore
27. Gerakan Mahasiswa Maju UPM
28. Jaringan Hak Asasi Manusia (JHAM)
29. Jaringan Rakyat Tertindas (JERIT)
30. Klima Action Malaysia (KAMY)
31. KLSCAH Youth
32. Malaysia Muda
33. Monsoon Malaysia
34. New Naratif
35. North South Initiative
36. Our Journey
37. Pangrok Sulap
38. Pergerakan Tenaga Akademik Malaysia (GERAK)
39. Persatuan Kebangsaan Pelajar Islam Malaysia (PKPIM)
40. Persatuan Komuniti Prihatin Selangor dan Kuala Lumpur
41. Persatuan Sahabat Wanita, Selangor (Friends of Women Organisation, Selangor)
42. Pertubuhan Solidaritas
43. PeSAWAH
44. Projek Wawasan Rakyat (POWR)
45. Pusat KOMAS
46. Ruang Kongsi (Penang)
47. Sabah Human Rights Centre
48. Sabah Law Society Subcommittee on Human Rights
49. Sabah Reform Initiative (SARI)
50. Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia (SABM)
51. Society for Equality, Respect And Trust for All Sabah (SERATA)
52. Student Progressive Front UUM 53. Student Unity Front UKM
54. Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM) 55. Svara 56. Tenaganita
57. Teoh Beng Hock Trust for Democracy
58. Terabai Kenyalang Heritage Association of Sarawak (TKHAS)
59. The 14% Project
60. Think Centre
61. Tindak Malaysia
62. UMANY
63. Undi 18
64. Waroeng Baru
65. WITNESS
Individuals:
1. Andrew Khoo
2. Benazir Japiril Bandaran
3. Beverly Joeman
4. Chen Yoke Pin
5. Devaruban Samalam Ruban
6. Elroi Yee
7. Farida Mohammad
8. Hui Yein
9. Janet Pillai
10. Julien Chen Lip Syn
11. Kenneth Cheng
12. Lim Kye Lee
13. Mark Teh
14. Nafeesa Mat Ali
15. Okui Lala
16. Risya
17. Sarah
18. S. M. Muthu
19. Simon Soon
20. Wong Chin Huat
21. Wong Tay Sy
22. Wong Yan Kee
23. Yolanda Augustin
24. Zaharom Nain
The Centre for Independent Journalism is a freedom of expression watchdog and non-profit organisation that aspires for a society that is democratic, just, and free where all peoples will enjoy free media and the freedom to express, seek and impart information.
03 July 2021
Media statement 1 July 2021
Vaccinate all educators to ensure continuation of learning
As the pandemic continues to ravage our lives, we in Malaysian Academic Movement or Pergerakan Tenaga Akademik Malaysia (Gerak) write to express our ongoing concern about the wellbeing and future of the many school children who do not have the facilities and devices at home to accommodate online learning.
Online
learning was touted right from the beginning by the Perikatan Nasional (PN)
government as the way forward for Malaysian education. But, of course, there
has been a wide chasm between promise and delivery.
Little,
for example, is now said about the 150,000 laptops Education Minister Radzi Md
Jidin promised last year to distribute to students in 500 schools nationwide by
February this year.
What
has now been revealed is that by April this year, only 13,000 (8.7%) of those
laptops have been distributed.
Gerak
is appalled at this outcome. The various movement-control orders
notwithstanding, the ministry should have assessed the situation and worked out
a strategy to get the devices to the needy students. If not the Education
Ministry, with its body of experts and departments, who else?
And
what is happening now? Let us be clear about the consequences if this is
treated lightly. Without the hardware, and the supporting online connections,
the extended lockdown will have extremely negative impacts on our children,
especially the marginalised.
The
current haphazard decisions being made to simply close schools with little
reflection, planning and, most importantly, the implementation of these plans
in a systematic way, expose these children to higher risks of being mentally,
physically and, indeed, educationally deprived.
School
closures, while convenient for ministry officials in their air-conditioned
offices in Putrajaya, put tremendous pressure on parents who are already
struggling to put food on the table.
School
closures compromise the quality of learning and more than likely will
negatively affect the education and possible future of poor urban and rural
children who do not have the advantages of their middle-class cousins.
In
this regard, and for education to be provided for in a planned, organised
manner, Gerak urges the government to prioritise teachers and other educators
for immediate Covid-19 vaccination.
It
is evident that the online education ‘plan’, such as it is, has been a
failure. We need to re-examine the situation and enable the reopening of
all schools and education-related institutions as soon as possible.
We
must treat all teachers – all educators – as front liners.
At the international level, one in four teachers is prioritised in the first phase
of national rollout plans in 139 countries globally. Malaysia is nowhere on
this list.
The
PN government promised to include teachers as part of the priority groups in
the second phase of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme in April 2021
which, to us, is already rather late and rather tame.
Indeed,
there is a lack of transparency in terms of the regime’s priorities and
execution of the programme at the second phase.
Gerak
is appalled to know that, up until today, not all the teachers and educators
are prioritised to receive any of the Covid-19 vaccines.
The
government is reportedly going to distribute more than 14 million doses of
vaccine to all states in July. This provides the perfect opportunity for this
government to right a wrong by prioritising education workers in this
programme.
We
believe that education institutions, teachers, educators and students must be
viewed as a priority by the government. Vaccinating all of them now must
be an essential strategy to combat the unnecessary unilateral closure of all
schools.
Not
all Malaysians can afford the luxury of sending their children to study in
boarding schools overseas. The longer we close all our schools, the higher the
probability that our children, especially those in the B40 category, will not
be able to return to formal education.
This
would reflect the failure of this government in safeguarding the future of the
next generation in a pandemic.
Hence,
in line with the urging of Unesco, Gerak calls upon this government, first, to
vaccinate all the teachers and educators immediately “to protect teachers and
students in an effort to ensure the continuation of learning and a safe return
to in-person teaching”.
Second,
there must be a concrete, well-thought-out plan devised to open all educational
institutions for face-to-face teaching and learning after all teachers and
staff have been fully vaccinated.
19 May 2021
06 February 2021
Joint Media Statement
2 February 2021