Police action on undergrads slap in Najib’s face, says DAP MP

By Debra Chong

December 17, 2011

Teo questioned the police move to arrest the university students. — File pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 17 — DAP MP Teo Nie Ching today hit out at Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s government for pushing democratic reforms while using the police to clamp down on students pushing for academic freedom.

“What is so wrong about students fighting for academic freedom?” the Serdang MP asked in a statement.

“Is this inconsistency a ‘tactical’ move whereby the Education Ministry was just playing the good guy while the Home Ministry played the bad guy role; or did the police not heed Najib’s important speech?” she said.

Teo was weighing in on the arrest of 15 university students who demonstrated at KL Sentral here three days ago as part of a “flash mob” in support of academic freedom.

The Movement for Academic Freedom (Bebas), led by chairman Mohd Safwan Anang, had gathered at the main entrance of the city’s main transport hub to demand more reforms to the proposed amendments to the Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA).

It is understood that 30 students participated in the protest.

But police broke up the protest barely minutes after they had gathered.

When the students refused to disperse, they were detained.

The Star Online quoted Brickfields OCPD Asst Comm Wan Abdul Bari Wan Abdul Khalid as saying the students would be investigated under section 27 of the Police Act.

Teo said that by allowing the police to intimidate and oppress the group of undergraduates the Najib administration seemed to be suffering from a severe case of split personality.