Young physicians hold posters during a demonstration in front of Airlangga University's medical school in Surabaya on July 4, 2024. - Antara This article was published in thejakartapost.com with the title "". Click to read: https://www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/2024/07/08/critics-slam-med-school-head-dismissal-demand-his-reinstatement.html.
JAKARTA: Constitutional law experts have slammed the recent dismissal of Budi Santoso from his post as medical school dean at Airlangga University in East Java, calling it a violation of the 1945 Constitution and evidence that academic freedom in the country was in tatters.
Budi was allegedly sacked by the university’s rector, Mohammad Nasih, earlier this month for publicly opposing the Health Ministry’s plan to bring in foreign doctors as a solution for medical staff shortages across the country.
While both Airlangga University and the Health Ministry denied the accusation, critics have pointed to Budi’s removal as evidence of shrinking civic space and compromised academic freedom.
The ministry claimed previously that it had no authority regarding the dismissal.
In response to the event, a group of 25 constitutional law experts, including Brawijaya University law school dean Aan Eko Widiarto as well as notable academics Bivitri Susanti and Feri Amsari, said Budi’s dismissal violated Article 28 of the 1945 Constitution, which guarantees freedom of expression, and the 2012 University Law ensuring academic freedom.
“The rector of Airlangga University has gone against the Constitution [...] It is wrong to interpret [Budi’s] thoughts and opinion as opposition to the university’s leadership, particularly since they were expressed in an academic forum,” the group said in a statement released on Sunday (July 7).
The group also noted that the dismissal had some procedural failures as it violated several prevailing regulations, including the 2014 law on government administration, a 2020 government regulation on civil servants, as well as the university’s own policy that states a dean can only be dismissed if their term ends, they die, become ill, resign, continue their studies elsewhere or violate the law.
Budi was slated to end his tenure next year, after being appointed in 2021. On June 27, he made a public statement saying 92 medical schools in Indonesia were able to produce graduates of the same quality as the foreign talent.
The statement came shortly after the Health Ministry issued a letter announcing the need for foreign doctors in the hospital it managed. To this end, the group of law experts is calling for Airlangga University rector Nasih to overturn Budi’s dismissal, and for the university’s senate to issue a stern reprimand or sanctions on Nasih for violating the academic’s constitutional rights.
The group also urged the Education, Culture, Research and Technology Ministry and the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) to launch an investigation into the circumstances behind Budi’s removal.
“The Airlangga University leadership should respect and accommodate all aspirations and input from the academic community in a democratic and inclusive manner,” the group added.
Dozens of the university’s lecturers, staff members, students and alumni staged a protest against the dismissal on Thursday. Some suggested that all lecturers, vice deans and staff remained on strike until Budi was reinstated as the medical school dean. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
