Higher Education Minister Dr Mohd Shafie Salleh has rejected a review on the current compulsory endorsement of Akujanji (pledge of loyalty) for all academicians attached to local public universities.

"What is Akujanji ? Akujanji is just to show that you are loyal to the university in the sense that you have to teach according to the schedule," he told reporters after a Petronas function in Kuala Lumpur late yesterday afternoon.

Asked if the pledge will be reviewed, he said: "No. If you go to any organisation you must follow the schedule (rules) of that organisation."

Mohd Shafie was asked to comment on recent cases of termination of service involving academicians who have been critical of government affairs.

Universiti Malaya's Dr Edmund Terence Gomez was first 'forced' to resign after his two-year sabbatical leave application to head a prestigious United Nations project was rejected.

It was approved later after Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi intervened.

No academic freedom

Responding to the two Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) lecturers who were axed for failing to ink the Akujanji , Mohd Shafie however steered clear of the controversial termination of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia's Prof P Ramasamy.

The UUM found the failure of the duo, Dr Azly Abdul Rahman (right) and his wife Dr Mutiara Mohamad to sign the Akujanji as a "defiance of command" while the disciplinary committee found them guilty of violating the code of conduct.

All civil servants and local university students are required to sign the Akujanji, which critics argue restricts academic freedom as clauses within were vague with wide-ranging powers over lecturers and students.

Lecturers and students face action under the pledge especially when they criticise government or university affairs.

But Mohd Shafie disagreed.

"I have previously (replied) to PAS' question about the Akujanji in Parliament on whether it was aimed at disloyal government servants.

"I had said no, that wasn't true. Akujanji is like prayers for Muslims. When we pray, it becomes our Akujanji (to God), not only once but five times a day."

He believed there was nothing wrong in that.