At a town hall meeting last October, while 1MDB group executive director and president Arul Kanda Kandasamy was addressing university students, four UM students held placards displaying “Students want answers” and “1MDB – We want answers”.
University of Malaya Association of New Youth (Umany) president Kon Hua En said there was no basis for action against the students as they did not cause public disorder.
“UM deemed displaying placards to be detrimental to public order and to be promoting disorder.
“We believe the accusations made by the university are utterly absurd. This was because there was no disorder after the town hall meeting,” he said at a press conference held on UM grounds this afternoon.
Former Umany president Ho Chi Yang, Umany deputy president Tan Jia You, Umany publicity bureau head Chua Hun Ti and Umany secretary-general Lau Li Yang have been issued a notice of disciplinary proceedings by UM over the protest. The hearing will be held on Jan 18.
The students were accused of indiscipline and disorder for displaying the placards.
Koh urged UM to drop all charges against the four, pointing out that the university should be open-minded and accept diversity of ideas.
“This is the best way to nurture critical thinking in students.
“We also urge UM to take on its duties and responsibilities as a university, which is to uphold truth and social justice.”
Present was UM student activist Anis Syafiqah Mohd Yusof, who was recently suspended for six months and fined RM400 for her involvement in the #TangkapMalaysianOfficial1 rally.
Anis took the university to task for giving the four students such short notice of the disciplinary hearing.
“The university is unprofessional in giving only a week for the students to prepare for the proceedings.
“I’m wondering if the university is doing this on purpose so the students can be punished when they are unprepared.”
If found guilty by the UM disciplinary committee, the students can be fined up to RM200, suspended or expelled.