(HRW/IFEX) – The following is an HRW press release: For Immediate release March 2, 1999 For more information: Joseph Saunders, 212-216-1207 Human Rights Watch urges inquiry into dismissal of Malaysian academic (New York, March 2)–Human Rights Watch today called on the Malaysian government to launch an independent investigation into the dismissal last week of Professor […]
(HRW/IFEX) – The following is an HRW press release:
For Immediate release
March 2, 1999
For more information: Joseph Saunders, 212-216-1207
Human Rights Watch urges inquiry into dismissal of Malaysian academic
(New York, March 2)–Human Rights Watch today called on the Malaysian
government to launch an independent investigation into the dismissal
last week of Professor Chandra Muzaffar, a prominent supporter of
embattled opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, from the country’s leading
public university. The letter urges the government to prevent political
tensions accompanying the prosecution of Anwar from spilling over and
improperly influencing academic personnel decisions.
The dismissal last week of Professor Muzaffar by administrators at
University Malaya has been widely viewed both within Malaysia and abroad
as a politically motivated reprisal against Muzaffar for his vocal
support of Anwar and his criticism of the government’s case against
Anwar. In a letter to Malaysian education minister Dato’ Abdul Razak,
the Human Rights Watch Academic Freedom Committee calls for an
expeditious and impartial investigation into the circumstances
surrounding the dismissal. It also calls on education minister Razak to
do everything in his power to keep partisan politics out of the
universities and to press for reinstatement of Muzaffar unless there is
compelling academic justification for the dismissal.
“At best, the circumstances are suspicious and demand an investigation,”
said Human Rights Watch academic freedom specialist Joseph Saunders. “A
university cannot fulfill its paramount role in fostering free inquiry,
rational discourse and open exchange of ideas where professors must live
in fear of losing their livelihood for exercising their basic rights as
citizens.”
The letter was signed on behalf of the committee by Jonathan F. Fanton,
president of the New School University in New York and a co-chair of the
committee. The committee membership includes presidents of Harvard
University, Columbia University and leaders over a dozen other
universities in the United States, and several internationally prominent
scholars.
A copy of the letter follows:
March 2, 1999
His Excellency Dato’ Seri Mohd Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul
Razak Minister of Education
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Your Excellency:
I am writing this open letter on behalf of the Human Rights Watch
Academic Freedom Committee to express the committee’s grave concern over
the dismissal of Professor Chandra Muzaffar from the University Malaya.
We urge that you immediately institute a fair and impartial
investigation into the case and do everything in your power to ensure
that political tensions in the country do not claim academic freedom as
an additional victim.
Until his dismissal, Professor Muzaffar was head of the Center for
Civilizational Dialogue at the University Malaya. He was also a vocal
supporter of embattled opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim and, in December
1998, had joined Anwar’s wife Wan Azizah Wan Ismail in founding the
Social Justice Movement (Adil). Since the establishment of the Center
for Civilizational Dialogue in 1997, Muzaffar had been employed by the
university on one-year contracts, the most recent of which expired on
February 28, 1999. Muzaffar claims that he had every reason to believe
that his contract would be renewed until he received a letter from the
registrar of the university, dated February 18, 1999, informing him of
the dismissal. He received the letter on February 23, just five days
before the dismissal took effect.
The letter is reported to have set forth two reasons for the
university’s unexpected decision: economic factors and a government
directive calling on the university to optimize existing human
resources. According to published reports, however, the Center had
showed considerable economic promise in its first year of operation.
At a minimum, the dismissal of Professor Muzaffar under these
circumstances gives the appearance of a politically motivated reprisal
for his support for Anwar and the reform movement. The appearance alone
is damaging to the international reputation of the University Malaya and
warrants action by your office. Until the matter is resolved, outside
observers will be left with the impression that the Malaysian public
university system is one in which important academic decisions are made
according to political rather than academic criteria.
To lift this cloud, we urge that you immediately launch an independent
investigation of the dismissal of Professor Muzaffar. In the absence of
compelling evidence of sound academic justification for the university’s
action, we further urge that you do everything lawfully within your
power to overturn the decision and seek Muzaffar’s reinstatement.
Thank you for your consideration of this important matter.
We look forward to your reply.
Sincerely,
Jonathan Fanton
Co-Chair, Human Rights Watch
Academic Freedom Committee
