Group gives Maszlee seven days to quit

KUALA LUMPUR: Student activist group Gabungan Pembebasan Akademik IPT has given the Education Minister a seven-day ultimatum to relinquish his role as International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) president.

GPA-IPT president Asheeq Ali Sehi Alvivi, who was one of the students arrested for protesting at the Education Ministry in Putrajaya on Saturday, said Dr Maszlee Malik’s appointment violated university autonomy and was a conflict of interest.

“We give him seven days from Wednesday to resign.

“If he doesn’t, we will mobilise more students to go against him because he is violating the principle of university autonomy that he (and his party) has been preaching to gain votes,” Asheeq said after mee­ting Dr Maszlee at a mamak restaurant here yesterday evening.

Dr Maszlee, however, defended his position.

“It wasn’t my decision. The head of host (Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad) recommended me to the head of constitution (Sultan of Pahang) who consented to it.

“I am committed to making IIUM the Oxford of Muslim countries and bringing glory back to the university. After I have completed my responsibility, I will relinquish the role of president,” he said.

On the arrest of the student acti­vists, Dr Maszlee said it should not have happened.

“But it was out of my control because policemen do not fall under the ministry’s purview,” he said.

Dr Maszlee also noted that the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 did not apply to IIUM, which had other policies in place regarding student activism.

The university said last week that Sultan Ahmad Shah had consented to the appointment, which would see Dr Maszlee holding the position for three years.