KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 17 — The National Human Rights Society (Hakam) has urged the Ministry of Education and universities to retract their warning notices against students who choose to participate in public rallies.
The watchdog said that tertiary institutions should encourage student activism and freedom of speech, after two universities had warned their students with disciplinary action ahead of the Bersih 5 mega rally this weekend.
“The university is a place where students should be encouraged to give voice to their thoughts on national issues and embolden to act on the same,” the group said in a statement here.
“The voice of Malaysian youths should be given due public space without any threats from university authorities.”
Hakam also urged the authorities to stop any form of threat or harassment of students in their legitimate right to expression and freedom of assembly, instead of labelling public rallies as “illegal” assemblies.
The group also praised students who have decided to join Bersih 5 rallies this Saturday despite threats, and pledged its support for them.
Yesterday, the local branch of Monash University warned its students that they will be punished if found to have participated in illegal rallies, but has since claimed today that it is only dissuading its students against purportedly breaking a law in the country.
A similar warning was also allegedly given by the local branch of Curtin University in Miri, Sarawak.
