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“Solidarity with Dr. Terence Gomez” dinner in Kelana Jaya, Selangor on Monday, 13th June to express support for the victimized academic and to mobilize national aspirations for democratization and liberalization of higher education policies to create “towering Malaysian personalities". Media Statement by Lim Kit Siang(Petaling Jaya, Saturday): As Parliamentary Opposition Leader, I am organizing a “Solidarity with Dr. Terence Gomez” dinner in Kelana Jaya, Selangor on Monday, 13th June to express support for the victimized academic and to mobilize national aspirations for democratization and liberalisation of higher education policies to create “towering Malaysian personalities”. It is both outrageous and scandalous that the University of Malaya Vice Chancellor, Dr. Hashim Yaacob and the university administration could flout the most elementary concepts of good governance on accountability and transparency for the past three weeks and to act like the traditional three monkeys with eyes that see not, ears that hear not and mouths that speak not, trying to ignore the storm that had blown across the academic world, both inside the country and internationally, over the Dr. Terence Gomez debacle in the University of Malaya. Since my first statement on May 12 calling on the Minister for Higher Education, Datuk Dr. Shafie Salleh to intervene to ensure the retention of the continued services of Dr. Terence Gomez in the University of Malaya, who had been forced to resign from the university after the rejection of his application for two-year secondment to the prestigious United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) in Geneva, neither Hashim nor the University of Malaya has been able give any rational or satisfactory reason for the shabby, disgraceful and short-sighted treatment of Dr. Gomez. It was only two days ago that Professor Jeffrey Henderson of International Economic Sociology at the Manchester Business School and School of Environment and Development, University of Manchester revealed that Gomez had earlier been denied promotion to a full Professor in the University of Malaya in early 2003. Jeffrey described Gomez as “one of Malaysia’s three most internationally eminent social scientists” and the only one of the three not to have a full Professorship. The other two are Professor K.S. Jomo and Professor Rajah Rasiah. Jeffrey also testified not just to Dr. Gomez’s scholarship but to his patriotism, love and loyalty to the country, when he recounted how he had previously tried to persuade Gomez, who was then attached to the University of Leeds, not to return to Malaysia on the ground that Gomez would easily get a permanent post in a British university and would be promoted more rapidly than if he returned home. Gomez acknowledged that Jeffrey was probably right but he insisted that his place was in Malaysia and he was committed to his students back home and his research on Malaysia’s economic and political development. The “Solidarity with Dr. Terence Gomez” dinner serves multiple purposes:
Distinguished Malaysian personalities, both academics and non-academics, will be invited together with Dr. Terence Gomez as guest speakers at the dinner. I call on all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, political affiliation or territory, who are concerned about the prolonged Malaysian higher education crisis and the shabby treatment meted out to another distinguished local academic to come from different parts of the country to gather at the “Solidarity with Dr. Terence Gomez” dinner to make a special point to the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on the urgent need for democratization and liberalization of higher education policies and practices to produce “towering Malaysian personalities” to enhance Malaysia’s global competitiveness. The “Solidarity with Dr. Terence Gomez” dinner will be held at Kelana Seafood Centre, Lot 1122, SS7, Jalan Perbandaran,Kelana Jaya 47301 Petaling Jaya Selangor on Monday, 13th June 2005 at 8.30 p.m. It is priced at RM40 per person or RM400 per table, There are limited tables specially reserved for students at half-price of RM20 each, on a first-come first-served basis. Those interested in booking dinner tables can contact Ms Teresa Kok, MP, 03-79836768 or Ronnie Liu 012-2013656, Interested members of the public can also contact the following for tickets: Carmen/Ms Lim/Ms Yong – 03-79578022/8127 (04/06/2005)
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