Anwar: What right has UM to ban me?

 

Whether banned or otherwise, PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim will still deliver his speech at Universiti Malaya (UM) on the eve of his sodomy charge appeal hearing.

And this is despite his alma mater claiming that it will never allow the programme to go on.

In an interview with Malaysiakini today, Anwar said he had not been told by the university that he was banned from delivering his speech on Monday.

“I will still go (even if I am banned). What right do they have to ban me? I was invited by the highest student body in UM. By 9pm, I’ll be at UM.”

Asked whether he was going to “gate crash” the university, Anwar simply said that he is “very familiar with the terrain”.

UM yesterday issued a show-cause letter to Universiti Malaya Students' Association (PMUM) president and the event organiser, Fahmi Zainol.

The university’s student affairs deputy vice-chancellor Rohana Yusof said Fahmi could be suspended for one or two semesters as well as fined RM200 if he goes ahead with his plan.

The Oct 27 event, titled 'Anwar Ibrahim: 40 years from UM to jail', is scheduled to take place at 9pm at the Dewan Tunku Canselor square in the campus in Kuala Lumpur.

He is also expected to hold a rally the same night at the MPSJ stadium in Subang Jaya.

The gathering is one of several scheduled rallies since Wednesday by Anwar in a nationwide blitz to mobilise support ahead of his sodomy appeal on Tuesday.

Flashmobs to continue

Meanwhile at a major intersection just outside the campus today, a handful of PKR supporters, led by its youth wing Angkatan Muda Keadilan (AMK), organised a flashmob in the run-up to Anwar's appeal.

"This flashmob is to raise awareness on grassroots issues, on oppression – whether in the form of rising fuel prices, rising price of goods – and the Sedition Act cases that have been slapped on so many politicians, academics, members of Parliament and reporter," said AMK vice-chief Fahmi Fadzil.

Fahmi, who is also the PKR communications director, said the flashmobs will continue until Anwar's hearing date at the Federal Court on Oct 28.

At the flashmob, about 25 persons chanted "Reduce fuel prices" while holding placards calling for lower fuel prices, an independent judiciary, and abolition of the National Higher Education Fund (PTPTN).

Many motorists passing the group outside the Universiti LRT station greeted them with honks, and the group replied with cries of "reformasi". Traffic remained smooth throughout the event.

Additional reporting by Anne Muhammad