Saturday, June 28, 2008

Unisel V-C shown the door - The Star

SHAH ALAM: Jun 28, 2008

Universiti Industri Selangor (Unisel) vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Mohd Razali Agus yesterday became the second head of a state-owned establishment to have his services terminated in three weeks.

The termination at the state-owned university comes less than three weeks after Selangor Museum director Maimunah Mohd Saidas was told to leave on June 9.

Taken by suprised: Prof Mohd Razali leaving after press conference in Shah Alam yesterday.

Prof Mohd Razali, 52, said he was attending a meeting at the university’s Batang Berjuntai campus when the termination letter was delivered to his personal assistant at his office here at about 4pm yesterday.

He said there was no reason stated for the termination in the letter signed by Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim in his capacity as chairman of Pendidikan Industri Yayasan Selangor Sdn Bhd (PIYSB), which owns the university.

He said the letter stated that his termination would take effect at the end of July but he was given a month-long leave with full pay until then.

“I am in total shock because I have given my best to manage the university and to help make it one of the fastest growing universities in the country,” he said at a press conference here.

Prof Mohd Razali, who was deputy vice-chancellor at Universiti Malaya for over four years prior to his appointment at Unisel, said there had been no indication of the termination until he received the notice.

“I have not decided on my next course of action. I need to consider my options before deciding whether I will appeal against the decision or seek legal recourse,” he said, adding that he had not yet contacted the university’s pro-chancellor Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor over the termination.

He also refused to comment on whether there was any truth to rumours that he had written to the Education Department claiming he was not comfortable working under the Pakatan Rakyat state government.

It is learnt that Prof Mohd Razali is an Umno member as well as a committee member of the Overseas Umno Clubs Alumni.

Khalid, in a statement issued last night, said PIYSB did not sack Prof Mohd Razali but merely decided not to extend his service after the second six-month period of his probation expired.

He said there was no ulterior motive involved in terminating Prof Mohd Razali’s services and it was based on a unanimous decision by the board of directors.

“It was the previous Barisan Nasional government that decided to extend his original six-month long probation instead of confirming him because they were not satisfied with his services.

“The six-month extension was coming to end and at the PIYSB board meeting yesterday (Thursday) it was unanimously decided that we were still not satisfied and should let him go,” he said.

He said the board had followed all the legal requirements and had even given him one month's notice as stipulated in his employment contract.

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