(Petaling Jaya, Saturday): University of Malaya (UM) Students Affair Department (HEP) was recently alleged of putting up libelous circulars. The first circular is to proscribe students from attending the Institut Kajian Dasar (IKD) annual seminar.

The circular, posted in various places in the university’s campus, described IKD as “a tool or agent of an opposition party set up for the purpose of spreading propaganda, defamation, libel and to incite hatred of the government.” The circular also warned students against attending the seminar, which the university claimed had the capacity to “corrupt their thinking and behavior”.

From the information that I have, there were at least another 2 similar notices from the HEP. The first one was to prohibit students from participating a trip to see fire flies in Kuala Selangor. The trip was organized by UMANY (University Malaya Association of New Youth), an unregistered UM student organization.

And the second one is to warn students from participating in activities aligned to the so-called “pro-opposition” groups without specifically mention the name of the student groups despite the name of Persatuan Mahasiswa Islam UM (PMIUM) and “We Love UM” logo produced by Gagasan Mahasiswa Universiti Malaya (GMUM) or the so called Gagasan, were there on the circular.

Gagasan was a pro-student group that was formed in 1998 to participate in campus election. Gagasan candidates were purposely denied their right to participate in the campus election last year which witnessed the first time they lost the election to control Majlis Perwakilan Mahasiswa Universiti Malaya (MPMUM) since 1998.

I had a copy for all the 3 circulars and it is very flabbergasting to witness that there are no clear link between the content of the circulars authored by the HEP and the sample published in each of the 3 circulars.

Just to take the 2^nd circular from HEP on UMANY as an example. The sample published on the circular was to introduce a trip to see fire flies in Kuala Selangor and it was said to be an illegal (haram) activity under the UUCA. Is the UM Deputy Vice Cancelor for Students Affairs (TNC-HEP), Professor Dato’ Dr Mohd Razali Agus telling us that visiting Kuala Selangor to explore the picturesque fire flies scene is a crime?

UM Vice Chancellor Prof. Datuk Dr Hashim Yaacob should directly order Professor Datuk Dr Razali Agus to explain this matter publicly not only to avoid confusion among the public especially IKD has decided to summon UM for putting up libelous circulars, not only to clear the good name of UM as the most prestigious institution of higher education in Malaysia but also to promote the culture of critical thinking, not a culture of fear.

His public lecture yesterday in Dewan Tunku Canselor UM entitled “Taking The University By The Hand” (Kemana Universiti Hendak Ku Bawa) would be meaningless if he fails to promote the culture of critical thinking among his undergraduates which is instrumental in making UM a world class university, instead of a university whose management is only interested in restricting students to participate in various activities in order to broaden their eyesight.