KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 28 — Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman assured undergraduates today that they would not be punished for participating in Umno’s general assembly.
He stressed that undergraduates have the right to participate in politics on any side of the divide.
“I want @AnnuarMusa to provide me the details of undergraduates who were allegedly threatened with scholarship revocation for attending the Umno general assembly so that I can defend their rights,” Syed Saddiq tweeted, referring to Umno secretary-general Tan Sri Annuar Musa.
Saya minta @AnnuarMusa maklumkan kepada saya siapa yang diugut.
Saya sendiri akan beri jaminan bahawa hak mereka akan saya pertahankan.
Mahasiswa berhak untuk begiat aktif dalam politik, walaupun mereka ProUMNO.
Mohon beri penjelasan siapa mereka supaya saya boleh pertahankan https://t.co/wBiXJYbrupAdvertisement— Syed Saddiq (@SyedSaddiq) September 28, 2018
Syed Saddiq was responding to a report in Malaysiakini quoting Annuar as ticking off the government for going against the Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA) that permits tertiary students to be involved in politics.
Annuar had cited an Umno Online report, which claimed that 69 local and foreign undergraduates had camped at the Umno headquarters in Putra World Centre for the general assembly starting tomorrow, but several were forced to leave after they were threatened with the revocation of their scholarships.
“Undergraduates are free to participate in politics, regardless if they are pro-Umno. So I urge their details be given to me for further action,” Syed Saddiq said.
Umno’s assembly this weekend marks its first as an Opposition party after it lost the May 9 general election.
