CCS wrote a letter to the Prime Minister of Malaysia protesting the continuing investigation of Aziz Bari, a law professor at International Islamic University of Malaysia.
Read the letter:
The Honorable Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak
Prime Minister of Malaysia
Office of the Prime Minister of Malaysia
Main Block, Perdana Putra Building
Federal Government Administrative Centre
62502 Putrajaya, Malaysia
Fax: 603-8888 3444
Email: ppm@pmo.gov.my
November 7, 2011
Re: Professor Aziz Bari
Your Excellency:
We are an independent organization of scientists, physicians, engineers and scholars devoted to the protection and advancement of human rights and academic freedom for colleagues all over the world. We write now in concern for Professor Aziz Bari.
Professor Aziz is a professor of law at International Islamic University of Malaysia and an expert on Malaysian constitutional law. We understand that Professor Aziz was suspended from the university on October 20, 2011 for publishing a comment on a public website regarding a decree issued by the Sultan of Selangor and that a police investigation was launched. Although media reports suggest that Professor Aziz’s suspension was lifted on October 25, we understand that he remains under investigation.
If these reports are in fact true, we believe that a clear violation of academic freedom and free expression has occurred, in the form of retaliation against a scholar for nonviolent, professional expression.
We therefore respectfully urge your intervention to terminate the investigation of Professor Aziz and reaffirm Malaysia’s commitment to academic freedom as fundamental to quality higher education and a free and stable society.
We appreciate your attention to this important matter and look forward to your reply.
Sincerely,
Eugene ChudnovskyAlexander Greer
Joel Lebowitz
Walter Reich
Paul Plotz
Co-Chairs, Committee of Concerned Scientists
Copies to:
The Honorable Dr. Hou Kok Chung Saifuddin Abdullah
Deputy Minister of Higher Education
Department of Higher Education
Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia
Level 1-3, Block E9, Parcel E, Precinct 1
Federal Government Administrative Centre
62505 Putrajaya, Malaysia
Fax: +603 8889 4119
Email: edumalaysia@mohe.gov.my
Y. Bhg. Tan Sri Mohd. Sidek Bin Hj. Hassan
Chairman of Board of Governors and President
International Islamic University Malaysia
P.O. Box 10
50728 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Fax: +603 6196 4053
Scholars at Risk
New York University
194 Mercer St., 4th floor
New York, NY 10012 USA
Fax: +1 212 995-4402
scholarsatrisk@nyu.edu
