Universities that have recently made last-minute cancellations to their forums should reconvene these events, urged a group of academicians.

The group Malaysian Academics Movement (Gerak) also said that academic events that have already been approved should not be cancelled, nor should a permit be required in the first place.

“The cancellation at the eleventh hour of the fora is not a wise decision. What is worse is the harassment at one of the fora," Gerak secretary-general Rosli Mahat said in a statement today.

The group was responding to three events that had been cancelled: The ‘ Everything in Moderation ’ forum slated for April 29 at the International Islamic University (UIA), a forum on the book publishing industry slated for May 13 at Universiti Malaya, and a forum on the Goods and Services Tax (GST) slated for May 13 at UIA.

“This is a clear abuse of the academic freedom right that should have existed in all university campuses, as required in the 'Recommendation concerning the status of Higher Education Teaching Personnel',” said Rosli ( left ).

The 'Recommendation concerning the status of Higher Education Teaching Personnel' refers to a document adopted by the UN Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) in 1997, and spells out international norms and standards for dealing with institutions of higher education and its educators.

“At the international level, the reputation and performance of a university is measured from the level of compliance with this recommendation.

“Gerak urge that academic activities should not be cancelled after prior approval has been given. It would discourage all effort to push our universities to be world class universities,” Rosli said.

The forum on moderation and the forum on GST were both cancelled due to the presence of opposition elected representatives on the panel.

The forum on moderation was subsequently reconvened after the Global Movement of Moderates Foundation offered to be the event’s new host, while students at UIA had gone ahead with the GST forum at another venue despite its cancellation, until campus security forces intervened.

Meanwhile, the group Mahasiswa Keadilan Malaysia slammed the cancellation of the GST forum as 'double standards", since government representative Lokman Adam was allowed to speak.

“The university administration should promote discussions of current affairs such as these - with representatives both from the government and the opposition - and not only roll out the red carpet for ministers who come to meet students,” said its president Zaki Shukor in a statement yesterday.