Universiti Malaya vice-chancellor Mohd Amin Jalaludin should step down for failing to defend his staff members, DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang said today.

Likewise, Lim said, Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin should also quit for his ministry's alleged interference in the affairs of the university.

Lim said this after two of the university's deputy vice-chancellors were reportedly let go for not being supportive enough of the ruling coalition and being too lenient with the students.

The deputy vice-chancellors were Mohd Hamdi Abd Shukor, who was in charge of academic and international affairs and Rohana Yusof (left), who was in charge of student affairs.

"If anybody should quit their post, it is Muhyiddin Yassin for continued political interference against academic freedom and excellence in  UM.

"Mohd Amin had (also) dismally failed to stand up for  the academic staff and the students of UM against such political interference by the politicians from Putrajaya," Lim added in a statement.

He described the continued political interference in UM affairs, despite the university's deteriorating standards, as "the greatest tragedy".

"There are unending efforts by the bureaucrats in Putrajaya, obeying the dictates of their political masters, to dumb down the university population, whether academicians or students, wanting them abandon their idealism and to accept uncritically the status quo in the country.

"This is in fact robbing the country of the best in idealism and constructive ideas of the most educated and  young generation of Malaysians," said Lim.

He urged the cabinet, which will meet next Wednesday, to reinstate the two deputy vice-chancellors, whose contracts were not renewed.

In October last year, UM students defied the university authorities and held a talk in the campus by Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim.

Eight UM students are facing disciplinary action for going ahead with the talk despite the university calling the event illegal and initiating a lockdown of the campus.