PETALING JAYA: A private university is believed to have threatened a group of its students with legal action over remarks made at a press conference over campus elections.
In an internal letter this week, the university had said that students making defamatory remarks about the management would be subject to disciplinary action.
The university said it also reserved its right to take legal action under the Defamation Act against students who made such remarks.
A former president of the student representative council accused the university of fearmongering. “This is the first time the university threatened to sue students on a purportedly defamatory statement, ” he said. “In the past, student leaders had no problems with making press statements.”
He said the letter was issued to staff and students after some candidates from a student group held a press conference on April 12 condemning the university for interference in the election.
The former student claimed that the management also dispatched security guards to deny the candidates from entering the university on “the instruction from higher-ups.”
He said the management had promised in early February to empower students to take full responsibility for campus elections.
The campus election committee was established this month, but on Monday the management bypassed the committee and unilaterally disqualified candidates, he said.
On the following day, the committee announced a postponement of the election due to the school’s interference.
The former student said the students will continue to voice their dissatisfaction with the university through social media despite the warnings given.
The campus committee has written to higher education minister Khaled Nordin regarding the matter.
FMT has contacted the university for clarification. - FMT
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