Two Pakatan Rakyat federal lawmakers visited Universiti Malaya students camping outside the country's oldest tertiary institution in solidarity to push UM to lift punishment meted out to seven student activists.

Dubbed the UM8, eight students were charged for taking part in Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim's rally at UM on Oct 27, but one was found not guilty.

The two are PKR's Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli and PAS' Kuala Krai MP Dr Mohd Hatta Ramli.

Rafizi, who is also PKR vice-president and secretary general planned to join the camp from Sunday.

However, the tents were dismantled by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) after the MPs' visit.

In an earlier statement the MPs said they will join PKR's Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar's initiative to gather as many signatures as possible from Pakatan Rakyat MPs in a protest note to be handed over the UM management on Tuesday for the punishment to be retracted immediately.

“The UM management should have focused on how to increase the quality of education in the university and not curb the voices and activities of the students.

“As a mark of solidarity with the students, and for academic freedom, we ask that political parties, non-governmental organisations and activists to participate in the camp-in as well,” Rafizi and Hatta said, adding the country needed youth who are critical and practise freedom of speech.

Two of the students, former UM student union president Fahmi Zainol, and Safwan Shamsuddin, were each suspended for two semesters and one semester respectively, while four others were fined.

Last night, some 40 students braved the rain in camping in to protest against the UM administration's action against the UM8.

Two of the UM8 were suspended, four fined, another issued a stern warning while one was found not guilty.

Global Bersih prepared to pay UM8 fines

Meanwhile, Global Bersih in a separate statement said it is prepared to raise funds to pay for the fines of the students.

Global Bersih also called on Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to intervene in the matter without delay and to remove the unjustifiable threat hanging over these young Malaysians.

“If the need arises, Global Bersih is prepared to launch a worldwide appeal for funds to help the UM students pay the decidedly unjust fines. Global Bersih has the necessary online infrastructure to efficiently raise and disburse the funds, using proper transparency and accountability procedures,” it said in a statement.

It further warned the BN government that Malaysians who are 21 years of age and older, even students, are eligible to become voters and they are therefore entitled to cast informed votes by entering into dialogue with all political parties, government and the opposition.

“The high-handed manner in which the UM administration banned the forum at the 11th hour, shut down the university premises early with little notice and locked public entrances was entirely unconscionable.

“Coming from an institute of higher learning, the UM action was a disgrace, and it should never be allowed in any decent, democratic society,” Global Bersih added.

It believes young Malaysians like Fahmi, his fellow UM scholars and Adam Adli, the last of whom was convicted under the archaic, colonial-era sedition law earlier this year, have committed no wrong and are in fact ideal role models for Malaysians.

Yesterday, the student movement Pan-Malaysian Coalition of Islamic Undergraduates (Gamis) condemned the actions on the students and also launched a solidarity fund to assist the UM8.