The Higher Education Ministry has decided not to interfere and let university administrations decide what action to take on students who were involved in the Bersih rally in Kuala Lumpur on July 9.

Its minister, Mohamed Khaled Nordin, said any action to be taken on the students needed to follow the laws and regulations of their respective universities.

“The ministry will leave it to the universities to determine the appropriate punishment and I will wait for their reports,” he told reporters after a certificate and diploma presentation ceremony at the Tuanku Sultanah Bahiyah Kulim Polytechnic’s (PTSB) 6th convocation in Kulim today.

Mohamed Khaled was asked to comment on reports that 21 students from several institutions of higher learning were arrested by police during the illegal rally.

Of the number, 14 were students from public institutions of higher learning including two from polytechnics and one from the International Islamic University, Malaysia (IIUM).

Seven others were from private universities, including a student from Kolej Universiti Islam Selangor (KUIS) and two students studying in Egypt.

- Bernama