Separate newspaper advertisements placed by graduates and intellectuals in the Chinese Malaysian community have expressed support for academician Dr Lim Teck Ghee and for the integrity of academic research.

The advertisements, which appeared yesterday in the Chinese-language Oriental Daily News , were both entitled 'Upholding academic integrity' and included a photo of Lim, the director of the Centre for Public Policy Studies (CPPS).

Lim has tendered his resignation from the think-tank of the Asian Strategic and Leadership Institute (Asli) with effect from the end of this month, after Asli failed to defend its report on 'Corporate Equity Distribution: Past Trends and Future Policy'.

The findings had suggested that bumiputera equity could be as high as 45 percent, rather than the 18.9 percent cited by the government. Umno leaders and the Malay business community had crticised the data and methodology used.

The first advertisement resulted from a collective effort by a group of graduate students who felt strongly about the issue and wanted to protest the "triumph of politics over intellectual freedom", as well as the lack of freedom of speech in discussing important issues such as New Economic Policy.

Several students started sending SMS and within a few hours, 30 had pledged to donate RM50 each for the advertisement.

It is learnt that their initial plan to place the advertisement in an English-language newspaper failed. An unofficial approach through contacts in the newspaper organisation revealed that this "may be difficult" and that approval would be required from top managers.

The second advertisement was by a group of intellectuals including 39 Chinese association leaders, commentators, journalists, lawyers and politicians.

Among them were Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall chief executive officer Tan Ah Chai, Civil Rights committee chairperson Ser Choon Ing, Independent Writers Alliance chairperson Wong Chin Huat, Josh Hong, Sungai Pinang state assembly representative Teng Chang Khim and Keadilan supreme council member Loh Chee Chong.

It is also learn that, over the past few days, the SMS opinion poll in Chinese-language newspapers like Sin Chew Daily , Nanyang Siang Pau and China Press have been flooded with messages of support for Lim.

There was also much criticism of Chinese-based party leaders in MCA and Gerakan especially, for failing to question the allegedly flawed government figure.

Readers commended Lim's courage in resigning from his post in order to uphold the principle of academic freedom, while chastising MCA leaders for keeping mum.