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A NIGHT IN THE DARK AT UNIVERSITY PUTRA MALAYSIA (UPM)

Malaysiakini

Attendees at an academic discussion on the National Economic Model were forced to sit on the floor in the dark last night when the original venue at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) was allegedly cordoned off by university officials.
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Invited speaker, Institute of Democracy and Economic Affairs (Ideas) chief executive Wan Saiful Wan Jan, sits on the floor in the dark while he speaks. Note the camera, placed there by security personnel.

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When contacted, Wan Saiful said that the number of security personnel grew from three officers to six when the original venue of Latar Siswa at the Modern Languages Faculty was changed to Kompleks Mahasiswa.
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UPM Student Affairs Department head Nor Mohamad Shakil Hamid said the students did not obtain university clearance for the discussion, nor did they book the venue.

“All events organised by students have to have permission from the student affairs department, especially if it involves outside speakers, as the university needs to look at the speakers’ backgrounds first,” he said.

He said that the heavy surveillance and recording of the event were also part of the “standard procedure”, particularly when it involves an “unauthorised” speaker.
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The organisers, a loose group of students who organise discussions called ‘Kelas Pencerahan’ (Enlightenment Class), last week organised a discussion on the book The Prince.

The discussion was led by PKR-linked think tank Institut Kajian Dasar’s Khalid Jaafar, but his presence at campus was protest against by youth group Pembina, linked to the Islamic NGO, Isma.

It is understood that the book discussion also faced difficulties, and had to move to another venue on campus, also under security surveillance.
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In a similar incident last month, Universiti Malaya student held a history lecture just outside the Kuala Lumpur campus gates when the university barred activist Fahmi Reza from addressing the pre-approved event at the last minute.

Discussion held in the dark after UPM blocks venue

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