The signing of the Akujanji (loyalty pledge) by public university lecturers will not affect the standard of education, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.

Deputy Higher Education Minister Ong Tee Kiat stressed that the Akujanji does not restrict lecturers from performing well.

"The content of the Akujanji , as far as I understand, does not affect the quality of our lecturers and also our education.

"The Akujanji only requires lecturers to pledge their loyalty to the King and to be honest and fair in their responsibilities," he said, adding that the oath also ensured that lecturers do not misuse universities for their personal gains.

Ong (BN-Pandan) was responding to Kamaruddin Jaffar (PAS-Tumpat) who asked the higher education minister to state whether the directive to sign the loyalty pledge will be reviewed.

Dissatisfied with the explanation, Kamaruddin asked: "What is the government's viewpoint on a petition from lecturers and former lecturers to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi not so long ago?"

"In the petition, they (lecturers) condemned the Akujanji and accused it of affecting the quality of our education. This is definitely not what the government wants," he added.

Professional lecturers

The petition, signed by some 40 endorsees, described the pledge as a "major deterrent to the healthy development of universities" and demanded its immediate revocation.

The petition also stated that the Akujanji has not only inculcated a culture of fear, passivity and uncritical thinking in campuses but also eroded the fundamental right of freedom of association and expression.

It added that the Akujanji is antithetical to the development of the country's universities and to the quality of teaching and scholarship.

Kamaruddin also questioned the sacking of Dr Azly Rahman and his wife Dr Mutiara Mohamad from Universiti Utara Malaysia in 2004 for refusing to sign the Akujanji .

"Not only that, they are now being sued by the university ," he said.

Responding to this, Ong explained that the signing of the Akujanji was compulsory for all civil servants and public university lecturers were not exempted.

"The Higher Education Ministry believes that the Akujanji would be able to produce more professional lecturers," he said.