About 50 Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) students today staged a protest against the university authority's decision to forbid them from using a campus hall for a cultural exhibition and performance.

The protest at the university's campus in Skudai, Johor, started at noon and lasted 30 minutes.

The students held an impromptu Er-hu (Chinese violin) performance before unveiling banners protesting against the university's decision.

Student Jeffrey Toh, one of the exhibition's organisers, said they had earlier booked the university's Dewan Sultan Iskandar for a Chinese cultural exhibition and performance today.

Approval for the event had already been obtained from UTM's student affairs department, he said.

"However, two days ago, UTM reversed its decision and informed us that our application to use the hall had been rejected," Toh told malaysiakini.

"The university authority said the Dewan Sultan Iskandar can only be used for academic purposes," he said.

Public outcry

According to him, the organisers were told to use the compound outside the hall for their cultural exhibition.

Toh said this was unfeasible as the compound area was too small for the purpose and so are the other halls in the university.

Toh said if the exhibition was held outside the hall, then the performances would have to be held in another hall which is a 10-minute walk away.

"What we really want to know is why concerts and other events, including small parties can be held inside Dewan Sultan Iskandar but not cultural exhibitions?" asked Toh, adding the event was aimed at promoting cultural understanding between students of various races.

Toh said the event was an annual event at UTM during the Chinese New Year festive season until it was banned by the university in 1998.

Following a public outcry, UTM allowed the event to be staged again beginning last year.

Malaysiakini learnt that UTM deputy vice-chancellor Prof Mohamed Mansor Abdullah had ticked off UTM student council president Juhazren Junaidi and the event's project director Lim Pei Shih when they met him to discuss the matter yesterday.

The two had met Mansor to inquire on the 'real purpose' of the hall and the various conditions imposed for its use.

However, UTM authorities could not be reached for comment.