Universiti Malaya (UM) has no qualms with student holding a sit-in this Friday to support the eight students facing disciplinary action.

Deputy vice-chancellor for student affairs Rohana Yusof says the university students can hold the 'Occupy University' event as university is where students should be.

"The slogan itself is clear. If it is not students who are going to 'occupy university', then who else are going to occupy it?

"Occupy it lah , because that is their place,” Rohana ( left ) said, repeating it several times with a chuckle throughout a phone interview with Malaysiakini late yesterday.

"Whatever they want to do, do it. It is up to the students because that is their own activity," she added.

A group of UM students announced Friday's Occupy University event in solidarity with eight students who are to appear before a disciplinary hearing the same day, including UM student council president Fahmi Zainol.

The eight students are facing possible expulsion for organising a talk featuring Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim, which was carried out without the university’s approval.

Some 2,000 students and activists attended the talk, storming through a locked gate to reach the venue.

   

The ‘Occupy University’ event is to take place from 9am until 5pm at Kompleks Perdana Siswa on the university campus.

The assembly, which has got the approval of the university management, will go on till a decision is delivered by the university tribunal.

The students will be organising a speaker’s corner, silent theatre and music shows during the assembly, which is expected to be attended by more than 100 students.

Meanwhile, a group of student NGOs has challenged the university management to press charges on all who were involved in the rally last week, instead of singling out the eight charged.

The group of student NGOs, consisting of PMUM, UM Muslim Students Association (PMI), Pro Mahasiswa Nasional and the Progressive University of Malaya, said ,the actions taken against the group of students, now called the ‘UM8’, was a harsh and unlawful act of the university.

PMUM vice-president Wan Nur Syamimi Wan Sajiri ( above, right ) said Friday’s Occupy Univerity gathering has also obtained the support of various NGOs, including Bersih, Lensa Anak Muda Malaysia (Lensa), Gerakan Mahasiswa Islam SeMalaysia (Gamis) and Mahasiswa Ganyang Akta Hasutan (Ganyang).

Additional reporting by Kamles Kumar