June 16, 1999
| | |
| ||
| June 16, 1999 | atimes.com | |
| ||
| Southeast Asia Academics speak out at their own risk By Anil Netto PENANG, Malaysia - It's not easy to be a criticaland outspoken academic in Malaysia, especially at a time whenPrime Minister Mahathir Mohamad is facing the stiffest challengeto his 18-year grip on power. For the first time in two decades, political consciousnessstirred campuses across the country, after the shocking ouster offormer deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim last September. Notsurprisingly, academics have come under close scrutiny by theauthorities, who are jittery about criticism of any sort. Shahnon Ahmad, a national literary laureate and creativewriting lecturer at the Science University here, was sharplycriticized by officials after he wrote a scathing satire called''Shit'' to express how he felt about the political situation. Shahnon's case illustrates the flak that academics here riskfacing if they speak out stridently against the status quo. ''Thescope for academic freedom is very narrow,'' says Wan Abdul Manan,chairman of the Malaysian Academic Movement (MOVE). According to Wan Manan, academics enjoyed more freedom beforenew staff disciplinary rules were made part ofthe Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA) in 1979. The act was tightened after thousands of university studentsdemonstrated against poverty and alleged famine in the mid-1970s. The same act bars academics from holding office in politicalparties and making press statements without the permission of theuniversity vice-chancellor. They are also not allowed to publicly question universitypolicy or speak on political platforms, unless the issues arerelated to their areas of expertise. Apart from the UUCA, academics have to contend with staffgeneral orders, the Official Secrets Act, and the Printing Pressesand Publications Act, all of which curtail the scope and freedomof research in one way or another. ''Nineteen seventy-nine was a black mark in the history of academic freedom inthe country,'' says Wan Manan, grimly. Apathy, he says, startedcreeping into the campus in the 1980s, at a time when academicswere being churned out by universities. ''Many of these academics were willing to defend the status quoin the hope of higher positions. In effect they were 'academicsfor hire,''' he adds. Over the last 20 years, Wan Manan says, ''there's been anincreasing number of violations of academic freedom by theauthorities, not only affecting academic staff but also affectingstudents.'' Even ordinary citizens have more freedom thanacademics to voice their opinions, he complains. A host of academics have landed in trouble in recent times. In1997, an air pollution expert incurred the wrath of officialsafter he warned about the danger of inhaling air pollutants at theheight of the regional smog crisis. That led to a general gagorder forbidding academics from speaking to the press. A couple of lecturers involved in the Islamic Al Arqam movementin the early nineties were also hauled up - at least one wasdetained under the Internal Security Act - when the governmentbanned the sect for deviating from Islamic teachings in August1994. More recently, a virologist at a university in Sarawak provinceirked officials when she said that the encephalitis outbreak inMalaysia was not caused by the Japanese Encephalitis virus, whichwas attributed to dozens of deaths. Much later, officialsannounced the isolation of a new Hendra-like virus. Leading government critic Chandra Muzaffar lost his job whenhis annual contract with the University of Malaya was not renewedearlier this year. Chandra had earlier condemned the former deputypremier's sacking and subsequent assault while in police custody. Sometimes, it is not entirely the fault of officials or thesystem if academics are silenced, says Wan Manan. ''Academicstaff are also to blame'', he observes. ''They are more interestedin getting academic administrative positions rather thanstruggling for ideals." Also, the fear of surveillance puts off many academics.''There's a lot of self-censorship because academics seem toassume that they are being watched,'' says social reformer WongSoak Koon, an associate professor in literature. As in the case of all other freedoms in Malaysia, academicfreedom exists on paper. ''We might not have an academic autocracyunder which people are sacked everyday,'' Soak Koon notes. ''Butit's an insidious velvet-glove approach. There are subtler formsof discrimination." Top academic positions, especially the vice-chancellors'positions, are filled mostly by political appointees, who are carefully hand-picked and screened. Academics who fall in the bad books of theuniversity management might find themselves overlooked forpromotion or research funding. Many academics also shy away from speaking out or approachingtop university officials to voice their concerns. ''There's stilla residual feudal overlay,'' says Wong. With universities being privatized and ''corporatized'' to makethem financially more autonomous, Wan Manan fears that increasedtop-down decision making will further erode academic freedom. ''At least now, there is still room for intelligent academicsto voice their concerns,'' he observes. ''But withcorporatization, what counts is the balance sheet, not humanity orsociety." Academic freedom would then be constrained by the university's''mission statement,'' a concept that Wan Manan finds superfluous.''There should be a universal mission as universities have existedfor thousands of years. The university is a social institution,'' he says. (Inter Press Service) | |||||||||
 |
|
Front | China | Southeast Asia | Japan | Koreas | India/Pakistan | Central Asia/Russia | Oceania Business Briefs | Global Economy | Asian Crisis | Media/IT | Editorials | Letters | Search/Archive |
back to the top ©1999 Asia Times Online Co., Ltd. |
