Asheeq Ali said he was surrounded by five auxiliary policemen just after he was given a microphone to speak, and he was instructed to leave the campus.

“The reason why I was chased out is because I am controversial and I am banned from entering UIA.

“We did not cause any trouble but the situation became chaotic after the auxiliary police acted aggressively,” he said at a press conference today at Suhakam’s office.

He was there to hand over a complaint letter to Suhakam commissioner Gerald Joseph.

Asheeq said he was invited to speak at the forum held to discuss student activism on April 6. Another speaker was political graphic designer Fahmi Reza who once depicted Prime Minister Najib Razak as a clown.

Asheeq said there were many people from outside UIA who also joined the talk but he was the only one told to leave.

He said he had entered the campus legally using UIA’s Gate 3, passing by the security guards without any problem.

It was the second time he was instructed to leave a talk held at UIA, after an incident in May last year.

“The forum was meant to share information about the history of student activism as there have been many cases involving university students who were punished for their activism.

“I am hoping Suhakam will help to look into the matter as we are striving for justice and students’ freedom of speech,” he said.

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 a 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”.