When UKM issued Ramasamy warning letters

When UKM issued Ramasamy warning letters

PETALING JAYA: Former Penang deputy chief minister P Ramasamy recalled receiving a “few” warning letters from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) when he served as a lecturer there several decades ago.

Ramasamy, who recently criticised UKM over a circular prohibiting its staff from issuing statements on government policies and decisions, among others, said UKM had acted on complaints when they issued him the warning letters.

He recalled the time during his tenure when he wrote articles critical of the then government and leadership, especially former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, which resulted in “one or two” warning letters.

Ramasamy, who lectured at UKM from 1981 to 2005, was also warned for being openly critical about the treatment of labourers, especially plantation workers, in the country and for accusing the government and employers of being in cahoots to offer these workers a raw deal.

“I replied to these warning letters from UKM but no action was taken although I became a marked academic,” Ramasamy, who now leads Urimai, told FMT.

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“These letters carried an implicit warning. It was obvious that the university disapproved of my social activities outside the campus,” he said.

He also took part in the peace process in Aceh, Indonesia, in 2004 and 2005, which saw him summoned to the education ministry to explain himself.

However, he said, while he did not get the sack, he was not offered an extension after he retired in May 2005.

The circular issued by UKM on Thursday, which barred its staff from making public statements, particularly those that disparage the government or highlight weaknesses in its policies, made its rounds on social media.

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Although a UKM source confirmed the authenticity of the circular, the university denied it had imposed such a ban.

It said although it celebrated differences of opinions that would benefit the country and community, it was compulsory for one to be ethical and mature.

In 2019, UKM found itself in a similar situation when it denied instructing a lecturer, Abdul Muein Abadi, to refrain from writing about political issues following his criticism of Putrajaya’s financial policies which earned him scrutiny from the prime minister’s media adviser.

Ramasamy said Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim can do a lot to liberate the stifling environment in universities, adding that as a former education minister himself, Anwar ought to know about the need for academic freedom.

“Universities in the country are badly in need of far-reaching reforms. And it could start off by ensuring these institutions of higher learning are not placed under the bureaucratic control of the civil servants,” he said.