A rally planned to be held at Universiti Malaya in solidarity with law lecturer Azmi Sharom has caused a rift within the student body, following the UM Law Society's decision to sit it out.

The decision of the UM Law Society (UMLS), despite claiming solidarity, has not only earned it diatribes on its Facebook page but also the ire of fellow student group UM Association of New Youth (Umany).

“UMLS is shaping up to be the worst student organisation in history…

“Umany would not yet say that UMLS is destined to be the campus' most cowardly student body although UMLS is undoubtedly leading the pack,” Umany director of external relations Danny Sim said in a statement.

UMLS president Chia Duwei, who was reported to be among the large group of students who attended the court session when Azmi was charged with sedition, had earlier told the Malay Mail Online that UMLS would not be taking part in the rally called by student Vince Tan.

Tan, who is Azmi’s student, urged UMLS to consider joining the rally in appreciation of Azmi’s contributions as a teacher.

“As a student of Azmi, I have benefited from his classes… every student who has been taught by him in the past would agree that he is a good lecturer, very capable of educating the next generation of lawyers to come.

“It is also for this reason that we appeal to the students of the Faculty of Law, University of Malaya to show solidarity with him,” Tan said in a statement.

He said several UM students organisation, including the UM Students’ Association, the UM Muslim Students’ Association and academic staff like economics lecturer Lee Hwok Aun and physics lecturer Rosli H Mahat, will be taking part in the rally.

The one-hour rally at the old Speakers’ Corner on Sept 10, Tan said, is to rally the UM community to stand with Azmi, for academic freedom and to call for the repeal of the Sedition Act.

Azmi on Tuesday claimed trial to sedition over remarks he made in a report in the Malay Mail Online on the ongoing Selangor menteri besar issue.

Meanwhile, the Malaysian Youth and Students’ Democratic Movement (Dema) slammed UM vice-chancellor Mohd Amin Jalaludin for his silence on the sedition charge against his staff.

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