Don’t stop Anwar event on campus, students warn UM

Universiti Malaya students today warned the management not to stop an event involving PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim scheduled for next Monday, ahead of his Federal Court appeal.

The Universiti Malaya Students’ Association (PMUM) said the university, as a public institution, belonged to all Malaysians who should be allowed to hear Anwar speak.

PMUM president Fahmi Zainol said it was inviting Anwar to speak at the event “40 years: from University of Malaya to prison”.

“The event marks Anwar’s journey from his days as a student here in Universiti Malaya to his present predicament,” Fahmi said in a statement today, referring to Anwar’s final appeal to the Federal Court against his sodomy conviction.

“We are extending the invitation to Anwar to address the students,” he said of the event to be held at the Dewan Tunku Canselor Square next Monday at 9pm.

Fahmi said UM belonged to all Malaysians, hence if there was any attempt to stop the event, all Malaysians would be invited to enter the campus grounds.

“This is not just a question of justice for Anwar, but it also involves the students’ freedom which is stated in the spirit of academic freedom.

“UM students support the principle of academic freedom and humanities. We intend to spread this principle to overcome the boundaries of political ideologies, race and religion.”

Fahmi said public universities were built with taxpayers’ funds and it would be wrong for the management to prevent non-students from joining the event.

The Dewan Tunku Canselor Square was also a public area, Fahmi said.

“The event is not only open to UM students, but to all Malaysians and foreigners to participate. Let us find the truth together,” he said.

The federal court is scheduled to hear Anwar’s appeal on his sodomy conviction on October 28 and 29.

On March 7, the Court of Appeal overturned his sodomy acquittal by the High Court two years earlier.

The appellate court found Anwar guilty of sodomising his former aide, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan 26, at a unit at the Desa Damansara condominium in Bukit Damansara between 3.10pm and 4.30pm on June 26, 2008.

Anwar was sentenced to five years’ jail but was granted a stay of execution, pending an appeal to the Federal Court.