'Look at standings before picking on UM students'
Published: Nov 7, 2014 8:38 AM | Updated: Nov 7, 2014 10:07 PM
DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang has slammed Universiti Malaya, asking it to look at its international standings before looking to penalise its students unnecessarily.
DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang has slammed Universiti Malaya, asking it to look at its international standings before looking to penalise its students unnecessarily.
The Gelang Patah MP was speaking on the recent issue where eight students from the university are facing disciplinary action for organising a talk featuring opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, which was carried out without the university’s approval.
“The country’s premier university, Universiti Malaya, is guilty of a global educational scandal of the first magnitude when it is completely indifferent to its omission in the 2,100 slots for 100 Best Global Universities for 21 subjects but totally paranoid about penalising student leader Fahmi Zainol and the UM8 for student awakening and activism,” Lim (left) said in a statement yesterday.
He added that for a university of that calibre, the people would have expected it “to be ranked among the 100 Best Global Universities in at least half a dozen subject areas”.
Meanwhile, Machang Bubuk assemblyperson Lee Khai Loon has urged all Malaysians to join in the solidarity of the ‘Occupy Universiti Malaya’ today.
“The student activists were doing their duty as leaders in defending their rights and principles in campus democracy.
“To ensure a continued democracy in Malaysia, the ‘Occupy Universiti Malaya’ and ‘Hibiscus Movement’ should be supported by all levels of Malaysians.”
Lee added that the whole world is watching what is being faced by the ‘UM8’ and would be closely following the course of action.
The ‘Occupy University’ event is to take place today from 9am until 5pm at Kompleks Perdana Siswa on the university campus.
The assembly, which has received the approval of the university management, will go on till a decision is delivered by the university tribunal.
The students will be organising a speaker’s corner, silent theatre and music shows during the assembly, which is expected to be attended by more than 100 students.
Support has also come from a group of Malaysian students in Australia in a movement calling themselves Malaysian Progressives in Australia (MPOZ).
“We view the ludicrous charges levelled by the university administration on the UM8, among them, a charge for using a loudspeaker without the vice-chancellor’s permission, as a desperate attempt to intimidate students”.
“We strongly condemn any authoritarian practice of intimidating students and urge the university administration to allow common sense to prevail and drop the ludicrous charges,” said MPOZ representative Praveen Nagappan in a statement yesterday.
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The Gelang Patah MP was speaking on the recent issue where eight students from the university are facing disciplinary action for organising a talk featuring opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, which was carried out without the university’s approval.
“The country’s premier university, Universiti Malaya, is guilty of a global educational scandal of the first magnitude when it is completely indifferent to its omission in the 2,100 slots for 100 Best Global Universities for 21 subjects but totally paranoid about penalising student leader Fahmi Zainol and the UM8 for student awakening and activism,” Lim (left) said in a statement yesterday.He added that for a university of that calibre, the people would have expected it “to be ranked among the 100 Best Global Universities in at least half a dozen subject areas”.
Meanwhile, Machang Bubuk assemblyperson Lee Khai Loon has urged all Malaysians to join in the solidarity of the ‘Occupy Universiti Malaya’ today.
“The student activists were doing their duty as leaders in defending their rights and principles in campus democracy.
“To ensure a continued democracy in Malaysia, the ‘Occupy Universiti Malaya’ and ‘Hibiscus Movement’ should be supported by all levels of Malaysians.”
Lee added that the whole world is watching what is being faced by the ‘UM8’ and would be closely following the course of action.
The ‘Occupy University’ event is to take place today from 9am until 5pm at Kompleks Perdana Siswa on the university campus.
The assembly, which has received the approval of the university management, will go on till a decision is delivered by the university tribunal.
The students will be organising a speaker’s corner, silent theatre and music shows during the assembly, which is expected to be attended by more than 100 students.
Support has also come from a group of Malaysian students in Australia in a movement calling themselves Malaysian Progressives in Australia (MPOZ).
“We view the ludicrous charges levelled by the university administration on the UM8, among them, a charge for using a loudspeaker without the vice-chancellor’s permission, as a desperate attempt to intimidate students”.
“We strongly condemn any authoritarian practice of intimidating students and urge the university administration to allow common sense to prevail and drop the ludicrous charges,” said MPOZ representative Praveen Nagappan in a statement yesterday.
Related stories
Optimistic Shafee guns for heavier sentence
Apex court keeps verdict a guessing game
Federal Court defers judgment
No double standards, Suhakam tells Utusan
UM8 case postponed amid solidarity protest
Selangor vows to take in UM rebels if expelled
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