Around 30 policemen and Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) enforcement officers have ordered the 'Occupy UM' students who have been camping at Universiti Malaya’s entrance to take down their tents.

The officers arrived in two police cars and one DBKL truck around 3pm today, amidst the heavy rain, to take action on the encampment which was set up yesterday.

Meanwhile, UM's Pro-Mahasiswa chairperson Safwan Shamsudin, who is at the campsite, said that the students are complying with the order for now.

“We have disassembled the tents because we do not want them (the officers) to cart them away. We may reassemble them later,” he told Malaysiakini.

DBKL officers also ordered the students to take down one of the canvas cloths which had been used by the students for shelter against the rain.

“They asked us to take down all the tents including the place we are taking shelter at. The rain is heavy now. We are only asking for shelter,” said Safwan.

Meanwhile, negotiations between DBKL officers and students which took almost an hour came to a resolution after the ‘Occupy UM’ participants agreed to disassemble the seven tents and eight banners around the area.

Complaint from UM administration

DBKL officer Nasarudin Daharun said that the city hall council had received a complaint from the UM administration that a group of students had assembled the tents outside the university.

“The university itself complained that the students had assembled the tents since last night. We (DBKL) do not allow any structure to be erected in this area,” he said.

He added that DBKL will confiscate the tents should the students remain defiant to assemble the tents.

“We have explained to them that if we were to confiscate the tents, do not get angry over it,” he said.

Checks by Malaysiakini found that the area has been cleared. However, there were piles of disassembled tents and canvas at one corner.

Meanwhile, Safwan said the students will continue to gather at the area until the university’s administration revoke the punishment meted out to the seven student leaders.

Students had gathered at the area since last night to protest UM’s decision to suspend and fine student leaders who were involved in organising opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s talk in the university.

Eight UM students, popularly known as UM8, faced a disciplinary hearing on Tuesday and only one was found not guilty.

Two students, including former student union president Fahmi Zainol, were suspended, four fined and one issued a warning.

'Long live the students'

Later in the evening, a group of students picketed at UM’s Kuala Lumpur gate to show their support.

 

They held placards with messages such as ‘Our voice, our right’, ‘Academic freedom’, and ‘Free the students’.

 

Their chants of ‘Long live the students’ were met with honks from cars which pass by.

 

The situation remains peaceful, with no traffic disturbance.