Islamic students rap audience at UUM for not coming to Bawani's defence

Two influential varsity students associations as well as PAS Youth and Muslimat wings have praised a student for her courage in speaking out against government policies during a Barisan Nasional-backed event in Sintok, Kedah.

University of Malaya's outspoken Islamic Undergraduates Association (PMIUM) gave the thumbs-up to law student K.S. Bawani in the face of insults publicly hurled at her last month by the head of a pro-UMNO outfit during a forum in Universiti Utara Malaysia.

However, PMIUM expressed regret that not one from among the 2000 students gathered in the auditorium had attempted to come to Bawani's defence when the latter was continously interrupted by Sharifah Zohra Jabeen Syed Shah Miskin, the head a group calling itself 'Suara Wanita 1Malaysia' which organised the event.

"Not one undergraduate had the courage to defend the student (Bawani) when she was attacked by president of Suara Wanita 1Malaysia. Perhaps they were muted by the promise of (Samsung) Galaxy Note?

"Friends, undergraduates should not be fooled in such manner!" said PMIUM's women's affairs committee chairperson Noor Afifah Jamaluddin.

Questioning the real agenda of the forum, Afifah challenged Zohra to meet UM students and prove her claim of practising mutual respect by engaging in a discussion.

In the incident last month, captured on video and posted on YouTube to wide public condemnation, Bawani took the microphone on the floor to differ with the forum's pro-government slant, and defended electoral coalition chairpersons Ambiga Sreenevasan and A. Samad Said from accusation of 'anarchism'. Armed with data and figures she scribbled on her notebook, she also lent support to calls for free education. But an angry Zohra approached Bawani to face her at arm's length, interrupting her repeatedly with the word "listen!" before breaking into a long drivel defending government policies as well as accusing her of disrespecting elders. Netizens have urged Zohra to apologise, and a Facebook page condemning her action has gathered more than 26,000 fans barely 24 hours after it was set up.

Vice-president of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Undergraduates Association Nur Afifah Abdul Rahim also criticised Zohra's behaviour in publicly humiliating a student for her views.

"As someone claiming to be more educated, Sharifah Zohra should have displayed professionalism and welcome positively the feedback from the student," she added.

During the heated exchange as shown on YouTube, Zohra also accused Bawani of being uneducated while boasting of her degree as opposed to Bawani's SPM qualification.

PAS Youth vice leader Dr Raja Ahmad Iskandar  meanwhile said the incident showed that students were no longer afraid of stating their stand

"The courage shown by Bawani will serve as an example to be emulated by the youth in rising up to speak the truth wherever they are without being fearful of action against them," he said in a statement.

While Ameerah Malaysia, a youth group which forms part of PAS's Muslimat wing, added to the calls for Zohra to apologise to Bawani.

"We urge Sharifah Zohra to apologise to Bawani publicly, in the same way she had humiliated Bawani (publicly)," the group's chief Fareedah Samad told Harakahdaily.

- Harakahdaily