Sedition blitz will lead to self-censorship in universities, warn academics

(September 25): Putrajaya's sedition blitz, which included charging a law lecturer, has created a climate of fear which will lead to self-censorship among academics and students in institutions of higher learning, a forum on academic freedom was told last night.

If the fear continues, it will be an unhealthy development which will further cripple the roles of universities as a place to cultivate critical thinking, debate and feedback, said academics at the forum at Universiti Malaya.

Political economist Professor Dr Edmund Terence Gomez said academics and students should not succumb to the government's ongoing sedition spree by self-censoring their expressions.

"I am concerned with the stifling of academic freedom which will lead to self-censorship and that is not the way to run a university and debate ideas," he said.

Gomez's colleague, law lecturer Associate Professor Dr Azmi Sharom, was recently charged under the Sedition Act for commenting on what had happened in Perak in the 2009 constitutional crisis a move that sent shockwaves through the academia and legal fraternities.

Azmi joined a slew of individuals, including opposition politicians, activists, a lawyer, a journalist as well as two Muslim ulama who have either been charged with sedition, are facing trial or being investigated.

Gomez said there should be concrete action such as creating awareness by shining the international spotlight on the current sedition blitz.

"If we continue to sit back and let it be, then the university is finished. If we keep quiet, we can expect more of this to continue.

"If we mount a campaign, the government will sit up and take notice. We need to take this out to the international domain. Once it goes international, the government will be concerned because no one wants this kind of publicity," he said.

The academician with Malaysia's oldest university said academics and students must be given a free rein to discuss problems because universities have always been recognised as a safe place to debate and discuss ideas.

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Sedition blitz will lead to self-censorship in universities, warn academics