Students must be given space to criticise: PM

 

The climate at universities must change to provide students with the necessary space to criticise, said Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Anwar said students must also be provided with a platform to express themselves more freely and openly.

“That’s how we can raise the quality of excellent universities.

“I will meet with all the vice-chancellors in the country. The climate at universities must be more open and free,” he said during a “Temu Anwar” session at Universiti Sains Malaysia in Penang today.

During the question-and-answer session with undergraduates, he was asked about his thoughts on restoring the Speakers’ Corner.

He agreed that the platform should be restored, saying briefly”: “Vice-chancellors, please take note.”

Speakers’ corners were once famous in universities in the 1960s, but implementing the Universities and University Colleges Act in 1971 saw the demise of such practice.

‘Don’t play petty politics.’

In a separate matter, the prime minister asserted that politicians should read and use their knowledge to save the people instead of playing “petty politics”.

As an example, he cited Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor’s claims that “Penang belongs to Kedah”.

“Is it true Kedah owns Penang? Yes, that was before. Were there changes? Yes. Who signed it? The Sultan of Kedah. When? In 1948, and the last was in 1957.

“What for? To declare that each state, including Penang, Kelantan and others, become part of Malaya,” he explained.

“The tradition of reading books is a must, or we see today’s discussion about ‘Kedah owning Penang’. There are history books.

“That’s why I say little knowledge is dangerous and that half-truths turn absolute,” he said.

Sanusi has been claiming that Penang belongs to Kedah rather than it being a separate state.

He claimed academic studies backed this and demanded the Federal Constitution to be amended to rectify the “distortion of history”.

His claims have drawn criticism from Penang, the federal government leaders, and even PAS’ allies in Gerakan.

In the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday (June 6), Anwar reiterated that Penang’s status as a separate state from Kedah was resolved before Malaya’s independence and has been reaffirmed since in the Federal Constitution.

All past agreements signed with the British had been declared void.

On Thursday (June 8), the police confirmed that a statement was recorded from Sanusi on the controversial topic. - Mkini