KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 25 — The Malaysian Islamic Student Coalition (Gamis) is blaming the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government for using the police to halt their demonstration in solidarity with University Malaya (UM) vice-chancellor Datuk Abdul Rahim Hashim.
Gamis deputy president, Mohd Zofrie Zulhilmie Ruslee, said its demonstration was for the nation’s benefit and to spread peace and accused the police of doing the government’s bidding.
“Today we want to express our disappointment with the PH government for using the police to stop our peaceful demonstration. Our voice is for the nation’s benefit and national peace,” Zofrie said in a statement.
“Why did the police block us? Isn’t it their job to maintain peace in the country? Our demonstration was peaceful and we did not provoke the police or the university,” he claimed.
Chairman of Gamis’ women wing, Maizatul Afirah Ayub, was seen being taken into a police car in front of UM’s main gates after the police asked for her MyKad at around 2.45pm.
She was the third speaker at the demonstration when a policeman confiscated the microphone and PA system, before telling those gathered since 2.10pm to disperse.
Zofrie questioned why Maizatul was arrested and student activist Wong Yan Ke — whose actions during his convocation prompted this demonstration — isn’t facing any action for his “rude” behaviour.
“What’s the difference between the actions of the police force during Barisan Nasional and PH now? Are they going to continue to act only in the best interest of the government?
“The excuse they gave us for arresting our friend is that we did not have a permit to assemble. But why arrest our friend, who only wanted to protect the integrity of the university while the disrespectful Wong Yan Ke, who stained the name of our institution, was left to his own devices?” Zofrie asked.
“Did Wong Yan Ke have a permit for protesting during the convocation?”
During the demonstration this afternoon, about 30 Gamis members carried banners saying, “We stand with VCUM”, as well as placards and signs condemning Universiti Malaya Association of New Youth (Umany) and DAP.
The students demanded that the university ban Umany of which Wong had been president.
UM security had informed the demonstrators that the gates would be closed between 2pm to 2.30pm due to the demonstration. The gates’ closure caused traffic to back up for over a kilometre from the Kerinchi flyover to the KL entrance of the university.
Maizatul, Gamis president Ikhwan Nasyriq Salihin and another student Saifullah Baiduri were told to give their statements at the Pantai police station.
