UM condemns ‘provocation’

PETALING JAYA: Universiti Malaya (UM) will not tolerate provocation or acts of violence whether they are committed by its students or outsiders.

In a statement, the university said it allowed freedom to its students to voice their opinions on issues within the scope of the country’s law and regulations.

At the same time, the university does not support verbal or visual provocation made by either students or certain groups.

UM vice-chancellor Datuk Dr Abdul Rahim Hashim said that unwelcome incidents could be avoided if all sides avoided provocative words and actions.

He was responding to the incident in which a group of students demonstrating against Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak was allegedly manhandled by the former premier’s supporters on Friday.

The students were demonstrating across the street of a restaurant near the university where Najib was speaking.

A video of the scuffle showed Najib’s supporters, including Umno supreme council member Datuk Lokman Noor Adam, accosting the students who were behind a railing.

Student Wong Yan Ke, from the University of Malaya Association of New Youth, was allegedly manhandled during the incident.

Two interns from a news portal were also said to have been harassed by the same group.

Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo criticised the actions of those who resorted to violence during the alleged altercation involving Wong.

“We must all unite against violence. Those who resort to such means should be hauled up and dealt with,” he posted on Twitter.

He said members of the media should not have been harassed for doing their job.

Najib said the provocateurs were the “six people” standing outside the mosque.

He was referring to six UM students who held placards stating “Where is RM2.6bil?” in reference to the 1MDB scandal and a caricature of Najib as a clown.

“Is it so dangerous for me to give a speech? I take a selfie, Pakatan Harapan files a police report. I want to pray in the mosque, Pakatan files a report. I changed mosques, they are still not satisfied and still want to provoke,” said Najib on Facebook, hours after the altercation.