KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 24 ― The Universiti Malaya (UM) administration is hauling up its student council president Fahmi Zainol for disciplinary action for allegedly tarnishing the university's reputation by inviting Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to speak in campus next week.
According to a report in Malay daily Berita Harian today, Fahmi has until the end of the day ― less than 24 hours ― to respond to a show-cause letter issued yesterday by the university's administration, for organising a programme titled, “40 Years: From University of Malaya to Jail” in which Anwar, an alumnus of UM, is to share his personal experience from a vocal student activist and his thoughts ahead of a court hearing that could send him back to jail on a sodomy charge.
“UM will never allow or support such as it is against university rules. It will not only damage the image, as well as causing a negative view on the university,” the university's vice-chancellor of student affairs, Prof Datuk Dr Rohana Yusof was quoted saying.
Rohana also claimed the organisers, Universiti Malaya Student Council (PMUM), had not formally registered the programme with the university and is therefore acting illegally.
She added that the university adminstration is disappointed, claiming the student president had refused to cancel the talk even after being called for discussion.
“We will never allow such a programme to be conducted at UM. If Fahmi is stubborn, he will be suspended from studies for one or two semesters as well as being fined RM200,” she said.
She also warned other UM students to steer clear of participating in the event, saying the administration will take disciplinary action on those found to have breached its order.
The talk by Anwar is scheduled for 9pm next Monday to be held at the Dataran Tunku Canselor in UM's main campus here.
The 67-year-old Anwar had been a fiery student activist in the late 1960s, and had led the UM Malay language society as president as well as several other youth movements, including the National Union Of Malaysian Muslim Students and the Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia (ABIM), which he co-founded.
The de facto head of Pakatan Rakyat (PR) has been touring the country ahead of an appeal hearing at the Federal Court after the Court of Appeal overturned his 2012 sodomy acquittal.
He was sentenced to five years in jail but was granted a stay of execution, pending an appeal to the Federal Court scheduled for October 28 and 29.
The Permatang Pauh MP was charged with sodomy for the second time in 2008, after a former male aide, Mohd Saiful Bukhari, accused the PKR de facto chief of sodomising him at the Desa Damansara condominium in upscale Bukit Damansara on June 26, 2008.
Anwar has maintained the charge is politically motivated.
