In a statement, the UM Feminism Club (UMFC) said the four were informed by police that they had violated the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 (PAA), and summoned for questioning.

One of the four gave a statement last week while the remaining three, who include UMFC president Chin Jes Weng, are scheduled to be questioned on Saturday morning.

The other three speakers are UM gender studies masters graduate spokesman S Indramalar, Wong Xiao You of Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, and UM Academic Staff Association exco Aznijar Yazid.

UMFC said it was “confusing” that the authorities had been “extra vigilant” towards the event from the onset, including by deploying “a significant number of armed police” at the press conference.

It also criticised the use of the PAA to “target those standing in solidarity with the victims of sexual harassment”.

“Since when have the police been authorised to interfere directly in campus affairs?” it added.

It said suppressing those who raised such issues would not resolve the underlying problem, and might even discourage victims from filing police reports against the professor in question.

“If organisations or individuals supporting sexual harassment victims can be summoned today, how can victims trust that the police will not misuse their powers against them?”

UM said on Dec 23 last year that it had suspended the professor in line with the Statutory Bodies (Discipline and Surcharge) Act 2000.