They tried to enter the Parliament compound but were barred by the police.

The group then gathered on the road outside while holding up placards calling for UUCA to be abolished and chanting “Hidup, hidup mahasiswa. Hancur hancur kezaliman” (Long live university students. Crush tyranny).

The protesters, led by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) student Asheeq Ali, stood in the rain for about two hours before PKR’s Bukit Mertajam MP Steven Sim arranged for four representatives to enter Parliament house to meet PKR president and opposition leader Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

Later, Asheeq told reporters that they had delivered their message to Wan Azizah. They also met an aide to Higher Education Minister Idris Jusoh to set an appointment to see him.

“It is our hope that Wan Azizah will help us push this matter to the ministry.

“We sent our memorandum many times to the authorities but nothing happened. This time, we have spoken to both the government and the opposition, and we want them to commit to abolishing UUCA.

“This is because we don’t know what will happen after the general election. Pakatan Harapan has already inserted in its manifesto a promise to abolish the act. But what if the opposition loses?”

Asheeq said Malaysian undergraduates would go to every state to speak to the people and students on how UUCA had restricted their freedom of speech.

In November 2016, Asheeq was suspended for three weeks by UKM and fined RM200 for his involvement in a #TangkapMO1 rally.

Asheeq had argued that he was never charged in court for any offence.

The rally was organised by a coalition of students and youth groups to call for the arrest of the person referred to as “MO1” in the US Department of Justice’s civil suit related to state investment fund 1MDB.

MO1 is the acronym used in the lawsuit for “Malaysian Official Number 1”.