The disciplinary hearing against eight Universiti Malaya (UM) students who were charged with illegally holding a rally on the campus has been postponed.

The postponement came amid a campus protest by more than 100 students in support of the eight since 9am.

Three of the eight students, dubbed the "UM8" had asked for a 14-day postponement while the remaining five had wanted their case to be heard today.

However, one of the eight charged, Safwan Shamsuddin, said some among them were upset the university decided to impose a blanket postponement on all of them, calling it "unprofessional".

"UM decided to ignore the requests of the other five and went on to postpone the hearing to Nov 18," an angry Safwan said.

Aside from Safwan, Universiti Malaya Students' Association president Fahmi Zainol and Persatuan Mahasiswa Islam Universiti Malaya president Khairol Najib Hashim had requested the postponement.

"We had requested for the 14-day delay so that we can prepare our defence on the charges laid against us," said Safwan.

Fahmi (right), in a statement later, criticised the disciplinary panel for pulling a disappearing act shortly after hearing whether they would like a postponement or not.

"The panel had left the hearing room without informing about the decision and/or adjournment details.

"We were shocked to find the panel went missing when we went back to the hearing room," he said, calling it "grossly unfair, inconsiderate and irresponsible".

Fahmi said it was only later that the eight were informed of the adjournment by university authorities.

'Panellists were satisfied with explanation'

Meanwhile, refusing to comment any further, UM’s media and corporate unit head Izzad Zalman Abd Kader said that the decision to postpone the hearing was done because the panellist were satisfied with the explanation provided by the students.

“The official decision has been provided. It’s up to the students to accept it or not. Since it does not involve external factors, any other details of the proceeding will be informed directly to the students,” he said.

Progressive Universiti Malaya secretary-general Vince Tan said that a second ‘Occupy’ might take place on Nov 18 but the student group has yet to reach a decision.

The three-person panel led by the university's student disciplinary committee chairperson Zanariah Abdullah, adjourned the session before the Friday prayers.

The hearing will now take place at Block D of UM's Perdanasiswa Complex on Nov 18.

More than 100 students gathered in the campus this morning in solidarity with the UM8 as they appeared before the disciplinary committee.

Walking from UM Sentral, the main bus stop in the campus, the students, wearing blue ribbons, made their way to the Perdanasiswa Complex at 9am in their 'Occupy University' move.

The eight students are facing possible expulsion for organising and taking part in a gathering for Opposition Anwar Ibrahim at the campus' Dataran Dewan Tunku Canselor on Oct 27.

They were accused of breaching rules under the Universiti Malaya (Discipline of Students) Regulations 1999.

Four academicians and three students are representing seven accused, while the eighth student, Abraham Au, is representing himself in the hearing.

As for Fahmi, the university has slapped him with nine charges for organising and participating in the rally ahead of the Sodomy II appeal.

In an open letter addressed to the Universiti Malaya authorities, 210 UM alumni, academicians and concerned individuals called for all charges against the students to be dropped and for the university to respect academic and fundamental freedom.


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