A female student association leader was detained by police during a peaceful protest to show solidarity towards University Malaya's vice-chancellor Abdul Rahim Hashim this afternoon.
The incident happened in front of the university's main gate about 2.30pm when a police officer ordered speakers at the rally to stop and disperse.
The authorities also seized a portable audio system was used by the speakers to deliver speeches during the rally participated by some 30-odd students.
The student leader arrested was Malaysia Muslim Students Coalition (Gamis) women wing head Maizatul Afirah Ayub.
Gamis president Muhammad Ikhwan Nasyriq Salahin said the police told them that they will detain Maizatul as she was not carrying her MyKad.
"However, after Maizatul showed the cops her MyKad, they said she is being detained because we didn't have permit for the rally.
"We are now going to the Pantai police station as she is being taken there," he said.
The rally which started at about 2pm, was organised in response to the action of a UM graduate, Wong Yan Ke, who staged a protest against Abdul Rahim during UM convocation ceremony earlier this month.
On Oct 14, Wong staged a protest against Abdul Rahim by unfurling a placard and yelled "Tolak rasis. Undur VC. Ini Tanah Malaysia (Reject racism. VC withdraw (his statements). This is Tanah Malaysia)”.
The placard listed reasons why Abdul Rahim should step down. Wong did this on stage at UM’s convocation ceremony, after receiving his scroll.
Attempts by reporters to get comments from police on the ground was unsuccessful.
Malaysiakini has contacted Brickfields district police chief Zairulnizam Mohd Zainuddin and awaiting his statement on the incident.
According to Ikhwan, they decided to follow the order to disperse as the protesters did not intend to cause provocation at the rally.
Ikhwan said the graduate should have displayed a positive gesture to the university for not taking any action against him.
"To us, UM's decision not to withhold Wong Yan Ke's degree was an action that should be lauded.
"However, Wong Yan Ke should be thankful for this instead of further demanding the UM vice-chancellor to apologise to him," Ikhwan told reporters.
Ikhwan also claimed that Wong had got it wrong when the latter called out Abdul Rahim as being racist for his speech at the recent Malay Dignity Congress held in Shah Alam.
The UM VC, he added, was only delivering his speech as a representative for UM at the event.
"There was nothing racist in his Abdul Rahim's speech," said Ikhwan.
Protesters call for UM to ban UMANY
Meanwhile, during the protest, several speakers including Ikhwan had called for UM to review status of Universiti Malaya Association of New Youth (UMANY), a student group which Wong used to lead.
Ikhwan told those present at the rally that UMANY was an association that had no respect for their teachers.
"If the VC wants to protect UM's name, they must ban UMANY. These are student figures who have no sense of respect to those who teach them," he said.
UM Gamis representative Hilman Hakim said Wong and UMANY were being disrespectful as they had also tarnished the convocation ceremony.
"I call for all students to defend our VC. We must reject UMANY, we must reject those who are disrespectful!", said Hilman.
Sharing the same sentiment, Perak Gamis chairperson Ayub Safwan said they came from Perak to show support to Hashim as he used to lead the Universiti Teknologi Petronas in Perak as its vice-chancellor.
Maizatul too managed to deliver a short speech before police moved in to stop the rally and arrest her. -Mkini
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