Universiti Malaya (UM) has accepted the resignation of its economics lecturer, Assoc Prof Dr Edmund Terence Gomez.

Gomez received the acceptance letter today inked by UM's human resources head Mahamad Apandi Khalid that read "the university has agreed to accept the resignation of Associate Professor Dr Terence Gomez of Faculty of Economics and Administration effective from August 8, 2005."

The letter, dated May 26, also recorded the university's appreciation towards his contribution to the campus. Gomez has been with the university for almost a decade.

"I am deeply disappointed that the management has not called me to discuss the matter despite the public protest over the university's decision to reject my application for a two-year secondment to the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD)," he said when contacted.

Gomez was denied a two-year leave of secondment to take up a research appointment at the Geneva-based UNRISD to pioneer a global research on racial conflict.

The denial of leave has resulted in Gomez having to tender his resignation on May 8. He will leave for Geneva on June 14.

His wife, Dr Sharmani Patricia Gabriel, who lectures English at UM was also denied a two-year unpaid leave. Sharmani made the application so that the family could join Gomez in Geneva. However, the application which was sent via e-mail on May 20, was not considered a formal application by the management.

Several attempts to reach UM vice-chancellor Prof Dr Hashim Yaacob this afternoon was not successful.