Top academic Dr Lim Teck Ghee has tendered his shock resignation from think-tank Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (Asli).

This followed Asli president Mirzan Mahathir's decision to retract a study carried out by Asli's Centre of Public Policy Studies (CPPS) headed by Lim.

The study which said the bumiputera corporate equity ownership was around 45 percent, instead of the government's figure of 18.9 percent, had ruffled feathers within the ruling Umno party.

It drew flak from various quarters including Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Mirzan's father, former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

According to Mirzan, the study's methodology contained a number of shortcomings and was flawed.

"As director of the CPPS, I take full responsibility, and stand by the findings of the study and other studies that were submitted in our report to the government on the Ninth Malaysia Plan in February 2006," Lim said in a one-page statement released this morning.

"Since I cannot agree with Mirzan's statement and because of the need to defend the position and integrity of independent and non-partisan scholarship, I regret to inform that I will be stepping down from my position as director at the end of the month," he added.

It is learnt that Lim's decision to quit was entirely his own, based on his disagreement with the statement by his boss yesterday, and he was not pressured into doing so.

Lim, who was Universiti Malaya professor, had worked as United Nations regional advisor on poverty and social development as well as senior political scientist for the World Bank.

He has authored and edited over 80 books and articles on economic history, developmental issues and challenges in Malaysia and Southeast Asia.

The following is Lim's full statement

"Mirzan Mahathir, president of Asli, yesterday issued a press statement on the study conducted by the CPPS on 'Corporate Equity: Past Trends and Future Policy'.

The Asli statement was in response to various comments arising from the study's finding on the level of bumiputera equity ownership. As director of the CPPS, I take full responsibility, and stand by the findings of the study and the other studies that were submitted in our report to the government on the 9th Malaysia Plan in February 2006.

Since I cannot agree with Mirzan's statement, and because of the need to defend the position and integrity of independent and non-partisan scholarship, I regret to inform that I will be stepping down from my position as director at the end of the month.

I hope the public space opened up by the centre's work on this particular, as well as other important, issues will be expanded on and vigorously defended by others. It is the fundamental right of the Malaysian public to question all government statistics and policies, more so when these are not transparent or defensible.

I would like to thank Asli for giving me the opportunity to work with it in providing service to the country."

Dr Lim Teck Ghee
Oct 11, 2006

Appeal failed

Meanwhile, CPPS chairperson Ramon Navaratnam said he was saddened and disappointed by Lim's decision to resign.

"I appealed to him to stay, to serve the higher cause, that is the search for the truth. Lim is a highly regarded and professional researcher and I am very sad and disappointed with his resignation," he said when contacted.

Ramon hoped that this sad episode will not deter other researchers from continuing to seek the truth.

"I would urge them (other researchers) to carry on the rich tradition of sound research despite the absence of reliable, available data," he said.

"I hope that the study coordinated by Lim will be used as a basis for further refinement in cooperation and collaboration with government officials and other research organisations."

He warned that Malaysia's competitiveness and progress will be impeded unless progress was made in improving research capacity in all areas of government and business.

Man of principle

Professor Shamsul Amri Baharuddin meanwhile praised Lim as a man of principle for standing behind his study.

"This is quite common in other countries, but rarely happens in Malaysia, as here people just tend to stick to their position," said Shamsul, who is UKM's professor of social anthropology.

He also believed that Asli's decision to back down and admit that there were shortcomings in the study was actually a political decision.

"Asli is involved in researching strategy related to politics, thus it is inevitable that Asli will be dragged in the politics," he told malaysiakini.