The Association for Promotion of Human Rights (Proham) has described the action of two local universities in preventing intellectuals from speaking at their premises as "highhanded curtailment" and called for formal explanation.

"Proham expresses concern over recent incidents of high-handed curtailment of student discussions at both Universiti Malaya (UM) and Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM).

"High-handed ways of blocking buildings, switching off lights, sending in security personnel are not the way for institutions of learning to conduct discussions," Proham secretary-general Denison Jayasooria (above) said.

Proham in its discussions with local university students, Denison said in a statement yesterday, had also received complaints that university officers had been restrictive and undemocratic in dealing with student activism.

"Universities should democratise the intellectual environment, not restrict and curtail rational discussions.

"They should, however, reason out with young thinkers via rational, open discussions to win the public opinion through well thought-out thoughts," he said.

Denison also called on UPM and UM, as well as the Education Ministry, to provide a formal explanation on the two incidents.

Institute of Democracy and Economic Affairs (Ideas) chief executive Wan Saiful Wan Jan was prevented from giving a talk on the National Economic Model on Thursday night after the venue at UPM was cordoned off by university officers.

Wan Saiful was later forced to conduct his talk on the floor, and in the dark, to some 20 students there.

In another incident last month, UM students were forced to hold a history lecture outside the Kuala Lumpur campus under the hot weather after the university barred speaker and activist Fahmi Reza.