People hold signs during a rally in support of Prof Aziz Bari at the UIA’s Gombak campus. — File pic
Aziz’s lawyer, Dr Zulqarnain Lukman, said the university administration sent a letter today and asked the academic to return to work tomorrow.
“UIA has issued reply letter. Inform that investigation still going on but suspension is lifted with immediate effect and must report duty tomorrow October 25,” Zulqarnain said in a text message to The Malaysian Insider.
Aziz had earlier replied to a show-cause letter sent by the university last week over his comment that the Selangor sultan’s decision was “unusual.”
The Malaysian Insider earlier reported that Aziz was to learn the outcome of the UIA probe tomorrow and disciplinary actions — if any — that would be imposed over his comments.
Zulqarnain has argued that Aziz’s statement on the Sultan of Selangor was merely an opinion, and did not infringe Article 5 (3) of the University Disciplinary Regulations and Section 3 (2) of the Sedition Act.
“The legal unit will tell me their decision tomorrow, that’s what they said to me,” Zulqarnain said earlier today.
The lawyer also said that the police visited Aziz between 4.30pm and 6.30pm today, taking away a laptop computer in the process.
“The laptop actually belongs to UIA and was given to each lecturer for their work.
“The police also brought Prof Aziz to his office at the university (with permission from UIA) and took pictures of the office,” he said.
“All these were done for the police to complete the investigation and to re-submit the investigation papers to the head of the Selangor prosecution unit.”
UIA suspended Aziz last week after he questioned remarks made by the Selangor Sultan in connection with the raid on Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC) by the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) in August.
Aziz’s statement caused a furore among Barisan Nasional (BN) MPs in Parliament, who urged that action be taken against the don.
The outspoken academic chose not to apologise for his remarks even after a police report was lodged against him, insisting he had not meant to challenge the Sultan.
Aziz said he was fulfilling his role as an academic when he said earlier this month that the Sultan had intervened in an “unusual and inconsistent” manner over the church raid.
Hundreds of UIA students gathered at the university’s Gombak campus last week to demand the lecturer’s reinstatement.
Aziz’s colleagues and lecturers from other universities have also backed the constitutional law expert.
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