Kenyataan media GERAK

PERGERAKAN TENAGA AKADEMIK MALAYSIA (GERAK)

MALAYSIAN ACADEMICS MOVEMENT (MOVE)

KENYATAAN MEDIA

16 Mei 2015

GERAK merasa resah akan pembatalan tiga forum di universiti dalam tempuh tiga minggu. Forum-forum tersebut adalah:

1) The Great Debate Series 2: Everything in Moderation - Ways of Living Together, pada 29 April 2015 di UIAM

2) Forum Industri penerbitan buku pada 13 May 2015 di UM

3) Forum Goods and Service Tax (GST), pada 13 May 2015 di UIAM

Pembatalan forum pada saat akhir merupakan satu perlakuan yang tidak bijak. Lagi tidak bijak adalah apabila satu dari forum tersebut tersebut telah diganggu. Nyata sekali ini merupakan perlanggaran hak kebebasan akademik yang patut wujud di dalam sebuah kampus universiti, seperti yang disyaratkan dalam 'Recommendation concerning the status of Higher Education Teaching Personnel'. Recommendation ini telah diluluskan semasa perhimpunan umum UNESCO pada 11 November 1997. Sebagai ahli UNESCO, Malaysia dikehendaki melaksanakan Recommendation ini, Pada peringkat antarabangsa, reputasi dan prestasi sesebuah universiti adalah diukur dari tahap keakuran dengan Recommendation ini.

GERAK mengesa dihentikan kegiatan membatalkan sesuatu aktiviti akademik setelah kelulusan diberi. Ianya akan mematikan usaha untuk meningkatkan univesiti-universiti ke tahap dunia. Malah kelulusan tidak patut diperlukan untuk mana-mana aktiviti akademik. Semua forum-forum yang telah dibatalkan mesti diadakan semula di universiti-universiti berkenaan.

GERAK is troubled by the cancellation of three university fora in the last three weeks. The three fora are:

1) The Great Debate Series 2: Everything in Moderation - Ways of Living Together, on 29 April 2015 at IIUM

2) Forum on book publishing industry, on 13 May 2015 at UM

3) Forum on Goods and Service Tax (GST), on 13 May 2015 at IIUM

The cancellation at the eleventh hour of the fora is not a wise decision. What is worse is the harassment at one of the fora. This is a clear abuse of the academic freedom right that should have existed in all university campuses as required in the 'Recommendation concerning the status of Higher Education Teaching Personnel'. This Recommendation was approved by the UNESCO general assembly on 11 November 1997. As a member of UNESCO, Malaysia is required to implement this Recommendation. At the international level, the reputation and performance of a university is measured from the level of compliance with this recommendation.

GERAK urged that academic activities should not be cancelled after prior approval has been given. It would discourage all effort to push our universities to be world class universities. In fact, approval should be required for any academics activity. All the cancelled fora must be reconvened at the affected universities.      

Bagi pihak GERAK,

ROSLI H MAHAT

Setiausaha Agung

Pergerakan Tenaga Akademik Malaysia (GERAK)

akademikmalaysia@gmail.com