I was fired for attending peace talks, claims academic
Nurul NazirinPublished: Aug 18, 2005 10:50 AM | Updated: Jan 29, 2008 10:21 AM
Political scientist Prof P Ramasamy today claimed that his contract was terminated by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) because of his participation in the peace talks between the Indonesian government and separatist movement Gerakan Aceh Merdeka (GAM) in Helsinki, Finland.
Political scientist Prof P Ramasamy today claimed that his contract was terminated by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) because of his participation in the peace talks between the Indonesian government and separatist movement Gerakan Aceh Merdeka (GAM) in Helsinki, Finland.
The academic, who had been with university for more than two decades, said he was told about this by a 'reliable source' whom he did not name.
"A few days back, I heard from a reliable source that my termination was related to my involvement in the Helsinki peace talks between GAM and Indonesia," he said when met.
Ramasamy, who was recently given a one-month contract termination notice effective Aug 27, claimed that he was victimised for being critical of the government and its policies.
However, the management dismissed this charge, saying it decided on the cancellation after looking into the academic and performance aspects.
Attended as observer
Ramasamy said he attended the third and fourth round of the peace talks as an observer on April 12-17 and May 26-31 respectively.
"I was there as an observer, not as an adviser for GAM. I went there for academic reasons because my area is political science," he said, adding that he went there to meet several peers.
According to Ramasamy, he met Higher Education Ministry secretary-general Dr Mohd Yahya Nordin on June 3 regarding this matter.
"In a rather cordial meeting, I was told that Indonesia had complained to the Foreign Affairs Ministry that I had acted as an adviser to GAM in Helsinki," he said.
He was then told to submit a written explanation on why he attended the peace talks.
In his two-page letter, Ramasamy explained that his involvement as an observer was based on prior engagements in Europe where the third and fourth round of peace talks took place.
The prior engagements included an invitation by the Helsinki University to present a talk before the third round of peace talks commenced in April.
He also said that he attended an anthropology conference at the Bergen University in Norway on May 18-22.
"So without the prior engagements, there is a big possibility that I would not have been involved in the peace talks at Helsinki in the month of April and May," he said in the letter delivered personally to Mohd Yahya on June 6.
In his letter of reply dated July 4, Mohd Yahya acknowledged that attending the peace talks was part of Ramasamy's academic research.
"However, the time and the environment you attended the conference specifically was not suitable and as a Malaysian citizen, your attendance to the peace talks could create a negative perception and could bring negative implications on the good relationship between Malaysia and Indonesia.
"Upon considering this situation, I advise you not to participate in any peace talks which involves both parties," he added in the letter, a copy of which was made available to malaysiakini.
No permission
Ramasamy said it was his academic and professional interest in ethnic conflicts that motivated him to observe the peace talks.
"If the chief secretary (secretary-general) of the Higher Education Ministry has cleared me, I don't see why the university's board should be bothered about my presence in Helsinki."
"I was there merely to observe and gather data for my forthcoming comparative study of the peace process in Aceh and Sri Lanka," he added.
Ramasamy said he took 10 days leave to attend the talks. "When I take leave, what I do is my business. Basically (the leave was ) incidental to my trip to Helsinki."
"If this is a cardinal mistake, we (academics) don't have any freedom in the university," he added
Met later, UKM vice-chancellor Dr Mohd Salleh Mohd Yasin said the matter is now in the hands of the ministry.
"He went there without permission. He went there on leave. As far as we know, he didn't ask for our permission to attend the talks," he added.
Responding to this, Ramasamy confirmed that he did not request for permission from the university or the ministry to attend the talks.
On the same note, the academic said he had requested GAM's permission to attend the talks although no invitation was given.
Since receiving the letter from the ministry, Ramasamy said he did not attend any other rounds of peace talks.
In the final rounds of the peace talks last month, the Indonesian government and GAM agreed on a ground-breaking peace treaty, which was signed in Helsinki four days ago.
Off-campus activities
On whether he had raised the matter with the UKM Staff Academic Association, Ramasamy said that he informed its president Prof Dr Kamaruddin Mohd Said regarding his off-campus activities.
Malaysiakini previously reported Kamaruddin as denying that Ramasamy was victimised.
He also asked the academic to explain his off-campus activities as there were rumours that this was what had led to his termination.
However, Ramasamy also took a swipe at the association, claiming that it does not take up issues concerning lecturers.
Termination: Professional or political?
The academic, who had been with university for more than two decades, said he was told about this by a 'reliable source' whom he did not name.
"A few days back, I heard from a reliable source that my termination was related to my involvement in the Helsinki peace talks between GAM and Indonesia," he said when met. Ramasamy, who was recently given a one-month contract termination notice effective Aug 27, claimed that he was victimised for being critical of the government and its policies.
However, the management dismissed this charge, saying it decided on the cancellation after looking into the academic and performance aspects.
Attended as observer
Ramasamy said he attended the third and fourth round of the peace talks as an observer on April 12-17 and May 26-31 respectively.
"I was there as an observer, not as an adviser for GAM. I went there for academic reasons because my area is political science," he said, adding that he went there to meet several peers.
According to Ramasamy, he met Higher Education Ministry secretary-general Dr Mohd Yahya Nordin on June 3 regarding this matter.
"In a rather cordial meeting, I was told that Indonesia had complained to the Foreign Affairs Ministry that I had acted as an adviser to GAM in Helsinki," he said.
He was then told to submit a written explanation on why he attended the peace talks.
In his two-page letter, Ramasamy explained that his involvement as an observer was based on prior engagements in Europe where the third and fourth round of peace talks took place.
The prior engagements included an invitation by the Helsinki University to present a talk before the third round of peace talks commenced in April.
He also said that he attended an anthropology conference at the Bergen University in Norway on May 18-22.
"So without the prior engagements, there is a big possibility that I would not have been involved in the peace talks at Helsinki in the month of April and May," he said in the letter delivered personally to Mohd Yahya on June 6.
In his letter of reply dated July 4, Mohd Yahya acknowledged that attending the peace talks was part of Ramasamy's academic research.
"However, the time and the environment you attended the conference specifically was not suitable and as a Malaysian citizen, your attendance to the peace talks could create a negative perception and could bring negative implications on the good relationship between Malaysia and Indonesia.
"Upon considering this situation, I advise you not to participate in any peace talks which involves both parties," he added in the letter, a copy of which was made available to malaysiakini.
No permission
Ramasamy said it was his academic and professional interest in ethnic conflicts that motivated him to observe the peace talks.
"If the chief secretary (secretary-general) of the Higher Education Ministry has cleared me, I don't see why the university's board should be bothered about my presence in Helsinki."
"I was there merely to observe and gather data for my forthcoming comparative study of the peace process in Aceh and Sri Lanka," he added.
Ramasamy said he took 10 days leave to attend the talks. "When I take leave, what I do is my business. Basically (the leave was ) incidental to my trip to Helsinki."
"If this is a cardinal mistake, we (academics) don't have any freedom in the university," he added
Met later, UKM vice-chancellor Dr Mohd Salleh Mohd Yasin said the matter is now in the hands of the ministry.
"He went there without permission. He went there on leave. As far as we know, he didn't ask for our permission to attend the talks," he added.
Responding to this, Ramasamy confirmed that he did not request for permission from the university or the ministry to attend the talks.
On the same note, the academic said he had requested GAM's permission to attend the talks although no invitation was given.
Since receiving the letter from the ministry, Ramasamy said he did not attend any other rounds of peace talks.
In the final rounds of the peace talks last month, the Indonesian government and GAM agreed on a ground-breaking peace treaty, which was signed in Helsinki four days ago.
Off-campus activities
On whether he had raised the matter with the UKM Staff Academic Association, Ramasamy said that he informed its president Prof Dr Kamaruddin Mohd Said regarding his off-campus activities.
Malaysiakini previously reported Kamaruddin as denying that Ramasamy was victimised.
He also asked the academic to explain his off-campus activities as there were rumours that this was what had led to his termination.
However, Ramasamy also took a swipe at the association, claiming that it does not take up issues concerning lecturers.
Termination: Professional or political?
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