KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 15 — PKR Youth exco member Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad has lambasted Universiti Malaya (UM) authorities for taking three students to task for inviting Pakatan Rakyat (PR) politicians to attend campus functions.
The political secretary to the Selangor Mentri Besar accused the university of breach of academic freedom and freedom of association by embarking on “draconian” actions and ordering the students before a hearing at the university's tribunal earlier this week for supposedly committing disciplinary offences.
The three student leaders — Haafizuddin Abirerah, 24 and Abu Ubaidah Amir Ab. Malek, 21 of Persatuan Mahasiswa Islam Universiti Malaya (PMIUM) and Chang Ken Fai, 21 of Persatuan Bahasa Cina Universiti Malaya (PBCUM) — were said to have committed the offences under Section (16) of the Kaedah-Kaedah Universiti Malaya (Tatatertib Pelajar) 1999.
“These charges apparently stem from the PMIUM having invited me to officiate at their annual general meeting last February, while the PBCUM has been hauled up for inviting the DAP MP for Seputeh, Teresa Kok, to judge one of their debates in August,” Nik Nazmi said in a statement released two days ago.
He stressed that as he had not made any statements that were seditious in nature or detrimental to public morals or national security, it had not been necessary for the university to punish the students.
“Perhaps they feel that individuals like Teresa and myself are not fit to speak in their august halls.
“However, such a sentiment is strange given that I have been invited to talk at the University of California at Berkeley, the University of Stanford, the University of Essex, and the School of Oriental and Asian Studies, London, as well as at local institutions UNISEL and the International Islamic University of Malaysia,” he said.
Nik Nazmi said that the matter upset him personally for the students were now facing disciplinary action on his account.
“This surely goes against the notion of fairness and good policy,” he said.
He added that during the PMIUM function last year, certain quarters had attempted to prevent him from speaking and although matter had been raised with the Higher Education Ministry and the UM vice-chancellor, nothing had been done since.
“It ill-befits an institution of higher learning of UM's stature, which has been celebrating its return to the Times Higher Education Supplement’s list of Top 200 Universities in the World, to be engaging in such high-handed and unreasonable behaviour,” he said.
Nik Nazmi said the university administration should cease all action against the three students and urged Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Khaled Nordin to intervene.
“Whatever antipathy the establishment may have for my colleagues or me and our politics is certainly no reason to jeopardise the future of these three promising young undergraduates,” he said.
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