A Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) student leader has defended a gathering which was held in a surau and attended by both Muslims and non-Muslims.

Transformasi Mahasiswa UUM president Ahmad Fitri Mohd Ramly said the students were forced to organise their talk inside the surau after they were prohibited by the university administration from holding it on campus.

While admitting the students had ‘overlooked’ the issue of decorum in the prayer area, he defended their decision.

Fitri was referring to a minister's criticism against them for allowing a few non-Muslims who were dressed in shorts to enter the praying area.

"We admit our mistake in not ensuring decorum is observed in the house of worship.

"However, according to the law, it is not wrong (to host a programme in the surau), as long as there is permission from the owner," Ahmad Fitry said in a statement today.

The talk on Nov 14 had panelists comprising of several student leaders from various universities, including Persatuan Mahasiswa Universiti Malaya (PMUM) rebel leader Fahmi Zainol.

However, the university's security and administration unit had prevented the students from commencing with the programme on campus, said Ahmad Fitri.

Cafe sealed off

The café – the supposed venue for the event – was secured with the “no entry tape” and people who entered the university’s main gates were checked thoroughly.

"It’s as if they were preventing bombers from entering the university. When there is theft or security threats against students, UUM has never made such restrictions," he lamented.

The students then shifted to the open area in front of the Batu 15 Sintok surau after obtaining the permission of the owner, who is also one of the surau’s committee members.

“The panelists asked to move the event inside so that the surau’s loudspeaker can be used, in order for those who were attending the gathering to hear clearly,” he said.

Expressing disappointment over those who had tried to play up the issue, he pointed out how Prophet Muhammad had allowed non-Muslims to enter the house of worship, and had even allowed Christian guests to perform their prayers in the Madinah mosque.

Ahmad Fitri slammed the irresponsible quarters whom he said had tried to cut short the student group’s campus political career, he questioned why they did not reprimand the students at the event.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Jamil Khir Baharom had said that although Islam welcomed the meeting of different cultures and religions, certain boundaries must be observed.

In addition, he said, it was not right to have non-Muslims inside a mosque when they have no reason to be there.

"It was disappointing when non-Muslim students were not dressed modestly while in the surau, and were not advised by fellow Muslim students to do so," Jamil Khir had said.

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