Universiti Malaya student leader Fahmi Zainol should accept the possibility that the Public Services Department (PSD) may withdraw his scholarship, said Umno education bureau chairperson Ibrahim Abu Shah.

“Students regardless of race who get scholarships should be responsible for their own learning.

“If the PSD withdraws Fahmi’s scholarship, he should accept it and not speak up or oppose it because it is fair,” he told Malaysiakini today.

When asked about the Universiti Malaya Students Union (PMUM) president’s urging for greater academic freedom, Ibrahim ( right ) replied that there are rules everywhere, even in the animal kingdom.

“Every country has its own laws, unless Fahmi lives in the animal kingdom.

“If we exceeded the boundaries, perhaps the monkey’s leader would get angry.

"Those are animals, what more of humans?” he said on the sidelines of the Umno supreme council roundtable meeting in Petaling Jaya.

He added that freedom of expression is not without bounds.

"I can't say don't arrest me if I strip naked now as this is my fundamental right.

"No! The world has many laws and there are limits in any community."

Fahmi: The money belongs to the people

Meanwhile, Fahmi said that the scholarship does not belong to any department, government or political party such as Umno, as it is the people's money.

"I think the government is being a little self-indulgent. This money is the rakyat's, and not sponsored by the government.

"PSD does not have any right to withdraw the scholarship on a whim, as the people holds the rights to that (money)," he told PKR party organ Keadilan Daily , questioning PSD's suggestion to retract his scholarship.

Fahmi, if found guilty by the PSD for breaching his scholarship agreement he signed in 2011, could end up having to 'reimburse' his already disbursed scholarship.

The Nov 6 letter indicated that he breached the conditions of the scholarship by organising an illegal rally in support of PKR de-facto leader Anwar Ibrahim.

The final year Arts and Social Sciences undergraduate was given seven days to submit a written showcause letter to reply the possible revocation of his scholarship.

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