KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 21 — Education Minister Maszlee Malik stressed that universities cannot curb any activities which are intellectual in nature on their respective premises.

He said this was because universities were open intellectual spaces.

‘‘I feel weird when I found out about the obstacle against activist Hishamuddin Rais from continuing the programme at 8.30pm yesterday at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).

‘‘I don’t think this programme is a big issue. Any university, don’t block or obstruct any intellectual programme,” he told reporters at the Parliament lobby today.

He was commenting on reports that social activist Hishamuddin Rais had claimed that UKM had cancelled his lecture programme titled Structural Reform: Mahathir and Anwar Again at the university.

The university administration said that there was no record on the organisation of the programme. — Bernama