UKM group didn't book venue for activist's talk, VC explains

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) vice-chancellor Noor Azlan Ghazali has said that the university has no issues allowing activist Hishamuddin Rais to speak on its campus, following the latter’s claims that he was allegedly prevented from delivering a lecture tonight.

However, Noor Azlan said, the university had had no record of the event where Hishamuddin was supposed to speak.

He added that another group of students had already booked the venue at the university's campus in Bangi, Selangor for use at the same time.

“We encourage students to come and talk and everything, but especially when it involves inviting audience from outside, all student programmes must be properly registered.

“It is not so much about vetting the programme, but to make sure things like this can be avoided. I mean, sometimes everybody claims to use the same venue at the same time.

“We want to make sure security is in order, and also that someone is in charge and responsible for the programme. At least we (would) have some information,” he told Malaysiakini when contacted today.

He stressed that the university has no issues abiding by Education Minister Maszlee Malik’s call for universities to be open for discourse.

“We have no problems with that. It’s only that there is a very minimal process to make sure everything is in order,” he said.

Earlier, Hishamuddin (photo) issued a press release saying that he was supposed to speak at the university's Speaker’s Corner about contemporary Malaysian politics at 8.30pm tonight.

The event was organised by a group of UKM lecturers and students called Diskopi.

When he turned up however, he said he was informed by organisers that the university administration would not allow the programme to proceed.

Expressing regret that there were still sanctions against him even under the Pakatan Harapan-led government, Hishamuddin urged the Education Ministry to review BN-era policies.

“In my view, universities are the place where all knowledge is tabled, discussed, and accepted or rejected […]

“In that regard, I urge the Education Ministry to study and review old policies still in use on campuses, especially such as that which I faced at UKM.

“I hope no one under Malaysia Baru will go through what I have experienced,” he said. - Mkini