Indeed, it is most shameful and cowardly of the Universiti Malaya management and its leaders to react in such manner as students looked forward to their leader and icon to address them on the night of Oct 27 at the campus of Malaysia’s premier corridor of learning and formation.

The reasons given and the actions being taken speaks volumes of a failing regime.

Najib Abdul Razak may switch off the lights of the campus grounds. He and his parrots may even plunge the entire campus into total darkness.

But let us face reality. You cannot switch off the light bulb that is burning in the hearts and minds of thinking students.

Hence Najib would have been earing kudos if he instead chose to keep the campus lights switched on, and instead engaged into dialogue with the buring hearts and searching  minds.

The very developments surrounding UM students’ showdown even as this letter is being penned, speaks volumes of a frightened, cowardly and misguided leadership.

Politicians who are not in Anwar Ibrahim’s camp would dump a volley of criticisms on Anwar.

Forces aligned to Najib’s gravy train may even come with guns blazing to condemn the man-of-the-hour and charge that Anwar Ibrahim is out to create havoc.

But, without fear or favour, without prejudice and blinkered vision, we can all see that faith and confidence in the BN-led leadership is eroding fast.

The UM’s action now only further cements students’ anger and the public’s suspicion that Najib and his team are running scared.

Even if the police step in and claim that they had to because of national security, the damage is already done.

A wiser Najib would instead have avoided all these wrongs by just paying heed to the unimportance of the students’ intention to invite an ex-uni mate to their function.

The next days and months ahead will chisel a truth that no one can ignore simply because Najib and team may have blacked-out UM, but the souls that inhabit the very grounds of the university are in all likelihood more illuminated now.