Where is the right to freedom of expression and speech?

IF you still haven’t heard, a Universiti Malaya student decided to take a stand against an action taken by the university’s vice-chancellor.

As usual, the Malaysian population is divided into camps: those who agree with the student’s actions, and the dithering mass of humanity that believes such freedoms should only be applicable when convenient to themselves.

The most astounding hypocritical argument is that it was a ceremony with others involved and the student’s protest ruined the mood. Can you imagine if a tourist said this after ending up in one of those Bersih street protests? How dare you protest and ruin our long-awaited vacation in Kuala Lumpur with your antics! Sounds ridiculous, right?

Same goes for the people arguing ceremony over the rights of speech and expression. It is a horrible argument. Should people then not protest dignitaries from foreign countries coming for an international conference like the G8, Opec, Apec and such?

Because if so, even (Rembau MP) Khairy Jamaluddin has something to answer for over his 2006 protest in KL against then US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Youths have every right to protest wherever they wish to, regardless of the forum. There is no sacrosanct authority over what platform and event they can or cannot express themselves on. Those barriers are subjective and set in individual brains, not collective thought.

And more importantly, nobody was harmed physically, nobody was even slightly inconvenienced other than the damage control department of UM, and everyone continued on with their convocation ceremony.

So why are Malaysians divided?

I have no idea. To me the whole thing is a non-issue. It seems very hypocritical to somehow advocate freedom of speech and expression as sacrosanct, and then turn around and say you can’t do it if you’re a student.

So yes, I will back the student’s actions and words.

However, I believe the passage of time will vindicate the student’s stance, if only because universities and their leadership should be more independent and stop bowing down to external pressure when it comes to divisive agendas.

Vice-chancellors need to understand that when they attend events, they don’t just represent themselves or the people who agree with them, but also those who will be against such stances.

And there should be a platform for such people to voice out their disagreements and an avenue to speak – the fact that there was no such platform then and even now in universities is one reason for the convocation protest.

Students should not be herded like sheep. People shouldn’t be herded like sheep. To insist on authoritarian-style decorum to please your ego and make things look pleasant to outsiders should really stop in this day and age.

Unfortunately, it seems many out there believe in toeing lines and being hypocritical rather than accepting that such freedoms apply to all sides.

HAFIDZ BAHAROM , Damansara, Kuala Lumpur