If students do not make a stand for academic freedom now, then "our brothers and sisters" will suffer the same predicament in the future, thundered Fahmi Zainol.

"Our voices must be heard. There must be resistance!" the student leader told Malaysiakini .

Fahmi ( left ), who heads Persatuan Mahasiswa Universiti Malaya, will be leading a protest tomorrow after the Muslim Friday prayers.

The students are furious over allegations of government interference leading to academician Redzuan Othman's resignation last week.

Redzuan is the founder and director of UM's Centre for Democracy and Elections (Umcedel), whose findings and surveys are said to have irked the ruling coalition.

"Our rights as students are being taken away. UM fails to realise its core value, which is academic freedom," said Fahmi.

He said the students would gather in front of UM's main gate (the Kuala Lumpur entrance/exit), after the afternoon prayers.

The group, he added, would then march to the UM Chancellory.

Earlier today, a coalition comprising 18 NGOs also stressed the importance of academic freedom in light of Redzuan's "forced" resignation.

Muslim Youth of Malaysia (Abim) president Amidi Abdul Manan said the violation of academic freedom has been a long-standing "cancer" in this nation.

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