Rights group cries foul after university rejects 'sensitive' exhibition

Summary

• Suaram criticised a public university in Penang for rejecting its exhibition on custodial death victim S Balamurugan, which deemed it “sensitive” and “anti-government”.

• The exhibition highlights police misconduct leading to Balamurugan’s death in 2017.

• The rejection came just two days before the event, forcing it to be postponed by one day to be moved to a new location.

Human rights group Suaram has expressed dismay after a public university rejected its bid to hold an exhibition about a custodial death victim after university authorities purportedly deemed it “sensitive” and “anti-government”.

This is especially since Suaram has worked to gain approval of its lecturers, faculty, and the use of a hall, only to be informed of the Student Development and Alumni Affairs Division’s (BHEPA) rejection yesterday – two days before the exhibition was scheduled to take place.

By then, Suaram said, full preparations had already been made by several parties.

“BHEPA’s decision to reject the programme is a curtailment of students’ academic freedom.

“It indirectly shows that the BHEPA is biased and not neutral because it considers the program sensitive and opposes the government,” it said in a Facebook post today.

‘Serious abuses of police powers’

The three-day exhibition is originally scheduled to be held at a public university in Penang starting tomorrow until Dec 20. It showcases the chronology of events surrounding S Balamurugan’s death in 2017.

The Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission’s investigation had found serious abuses of police powers in the case, including rearresting Balamurugan without justification and failing to comply with a magistrate’s order to send him to a hospital.

He was also allegedly beaten by the police to extract a confession, leading to his death by blunt force trauma that aggravated his heart problems.

In May this year, the High Court ordered the government and the police to pay RM338,000 in damages to Balamurugan’s family after finding them liable for causing his death.

‘Are govt agencies also anti-govt?’

Meanwhile, Suaram noted the EAIC and the Independent Police Conduct Commission (IPCC) had joined its previous roadshows.

“Does the BHEPA also think these agencies are anti-government movements?” it questioned.

Malaysiakini is contacting the public university involved and is withholding its name pending comment.

In the meantime, Suaram said its programme will be held at a new location, and further details will be announced soon.

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