After occupying grounds outside their campus for five days, Universiti Malaya's (UM) students today camped in front of the Student Affairs Department, demanding the campus authority drop charges against the eight students known as the UM8.

Accompanying the over 50 students gathered there was economics and administration lecturer Lee Hwok Ann.

The students have set up at least eight tents outside the office.

As part of their protest, they held up an effigy with deputy vice-chancellor (student affairs) Rohana Yusof's picture on it, urging her to meet the students and accept their memorandum by 5pm today.

 

Placards that read “Drop UM8 punishment”, “When injustice becomes law, rebellion becomes duty” were seen at the protest.

 

Occupy UM had set up camp since last Wednesday to pressure the country's oldest tertiary institution to lift punishment on seven out of the UM8 activists.

The students were found guilty for organising a campus rally on Oct 27 which featured opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim as a key speaker, without the university’s permission.

 

Former union president Fahmi Zainol was suspended for two consecutive semesters and fined RM600, while UM Pro-Mahasiswa president Safwan Shamsuddin had to sit out one semester and pay a fine of RM300. Four others were fined and one issued a warning, while another was found not guilty.

 

Caution lines

Upon the protestors' arrival, the security guards set up two caution lines to prevent students entering the Student Affairs Department building.

 

Two officers, on behalf of the authority, came down later and negotiated with the students. They asked the students to leave, claiming that the tents were blocking the road.

 

They also said Rohana is currently at University Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) in Johor and therefore was unable to meet the students.

 

“If what they said is true (Rohana is away), then she should come back before 5pm (to meet the students)!” shouted Safwan Shamsuddin, president of Pro-mahasiswa University Malaya, to which the students responded with an emphatic ‘yes’.

 

The students will stay until Rohana's return, Safwan added. They will also consider adding more tents tonight to so that more students take part in the protest.