After a protracted battle with University Islam Antarabangsa (UIA) over academic freedom, constitutional expert Abdul Aziz Bari is expected to leave the university next year.

According to a reliable source, the academic is leaving because he has been denied space to voice his opinions in the academia.

The incident at Kolej Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Selangor (Kuis) last month is one such incident, said the source.

Last month, the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (Mais) blocked Aziz from speaking at Kuis, which falls under the Selangor Sultan’s authority.

Aziz has been embroiled in controversy - since commenting on the Selangor Sultan's intervention on the Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC) incident - that culminated with a show cause letter and suspension on Oct 20.

The suspension was eventually lifted after heavy protests and public condemnation.

The source adds that Aziz, who has been with UIA for 22 years, cannot be expected to merely adhere to routine teaching without being able to make any public comments.

The law professor’s situation has been aggravated by the uncertainty of his fate following his prior suspension, as the university has allegedly not responded to his reply on the show cause letter, says the source.

When contacted about his intended resignation, Aziz declined to comment.