DAP Socialist Youth (Dapsy) Selangor chief Teh Hoong Keat urged the public to donate RM10 each to #SolidarityForAsheeqAli, which would run until Jan 24.

“The campaign is also for Dapsy to show solidarity with the student activists who spoke out against the government and were silenced by Barisan Nasional using the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971.

“Asheeq’s disbursement cost is estimated at RM5,000 and it is only going to increase with each appeal,” he told reporters at a press conference at DAP headquarters.

UKM suspended and fined Asheeq RM200 on Nov 15 over his participation in the #TangkapMalaysianOfficial1 (MO1) rally on Aug 27 in Kuala Lumpur.

Citing Sections 3 and 13 of the UKM (Discipline of Student) Rules 1999, the university’s disciplinary board charged him with tarnishing the university’s reputation and violating the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 by participating in the rally.

Asheeq, a third-year law student, said it was a no-brainer to accuse him of tarnishing the university’s reputation when he had never referred to UKM in any of his speeches at the rally.

He said his suit, filed on Dec 14, named UKM, the higher education ministry and the government as defendants.

“I want the court to declare the clause of tarnishing the university’s reputation to be contradictory to the Federal Constitution.

“If the court declares it constitutional, then it must be read together with Article 10 (right to assemble) of the Federal Constitution.”

DAP’s Yeo Bee Yin, who was also present, said it was ludicrous to accuse Asheeq of tarnishing the university’s reputation.

“It is ridiculous for the university to say Asheeq had disgraced its image. This is unfair, where is the justice?”

Yeo said Asheeq was “brave” for standing up to UKM.

“That’s why we must come together to support student activists so they will not fight the battle alone.”