Universiti Malaya has been told to heed its chancellor the Perak sultan's past advice on the importance of academic freedom, and therefore end efforts to halt the planned talk by former student and opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim today.

In the wake of increasing attempts by UM to halt the speech organised by UM students today, Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (Samm) youth director Ahmad Anwar Asyraf reminded the varsity that its actions go against what Sultan Nazrin Muizzudin Shah ( right ) had advised.

"(The sultan) who is the UM's chancellor, has once decreed the importance of having an open mind as it will vitalise patience and tolerance towards willingness to listen to differing views, even when one does not agree with the views.

"This open mindedness gives room for the development of new ideas, breeds a culture of innovation and fertilises the creative mind.

"However, the actions of UM's administration goes against the open mind extolled by its own chancellor," said Ahmad Anwar in a statement today.

He said Samm objects to the directive issued by UM's administration to take action on students attending the opposition leader's programme.

As the oldest university in the country, he said the tertiary institution should practise academic freedom and celebrate the maturity of its students to hear speeches by political leaders so they could evaluate and understand themselves the political direction of the country.

This, Ahmad Anwar said is the classic reason why our universities have lost its world's competitiveness, as it is not due to the students but the administration that wants to please its political masters.

Samm further asked UM students to come in droves at Dataran Dewan Tunku Canselor to show solidarity to free the institution from the hegemony of the country's administration.

Lockdown in UM

Meanwhile tensions are building up around the university's Kuala Lumpur campus as students attempt to press on with the talk.

Malaysiakini observed billboards defaced with anti-Anwar messages this morning, as the clock ticks down on the opposition leader's attempt to address his alma mater before going to court tomorrow to appeal his sodomy conviction.

The billboards were put up by Telekom Malaysia in support of Malaysia's sports teams.

Traffic was also congested leading to the nation's first public university as security guards tightened entry security allowing only vehicles with the UM sticker to pass through.

The road leading into UM is a popular short cut for vehicles heading towards Petaling Jaya.  

UM's security director Yusof Harun said the university had asked the security to step up the control of cars coming into the main gates..

 

“For this reason the security office will close the gates of Jalan Elmu, the gate to the Linguistic and Languages faculty and the Damansara gate,” Yusof said in a Facebook posting.