Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh says universities have the autonomy to decide who can attend events organised in their premises. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Hasnoor Hussain, March 9, 2016.Universities have the autonomy to allow or disallow any individual from taking part in any of the programmes organised in their premises, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh said today.
He was commenting on the decision by Universiti Tenaga Nasional (Uniten) and Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia's (Usim) to bar Asian top debater Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman from speaking at their events.
“I wouldn't know. It’s the prerogative of the universities. There are 13 universities (in Malaysia) and have been given the autonomy. So it’s their decision to allow who to come in and who not to come in,” he said.
When pressed further if the ministry “influenced” the decision made by the universities, Idris repeated that it was up to the universities to make their own decisions.
Syed Saddiq, who is one of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's strong critics, had claimed yesterday that he was barred from speaking at the two universities, on the grounds that he would “bring in external provocation”.
The youth was scheduled to speak at Uniten yesterday but the event was cancelled.
Another slot at Usim's programme today has also been postponed, the law student told The Malaysian Insider.
Syed Saddiq, 23, said he was disappointed with the ministry and added that its decision was unsubstantiated.
He was only notified at the very last minute.
“What is saddest, is my ‘ceramah’ has nothing to do with politics.
“I was going to talk about Palestine, the plight of the Palestinians, the Rohingya issue, the refugee crisis and volunteerism among youths.”
He said he was informed that his speaking engagements were off by the student bodies of the two universities but the directive did not explain what “external provocation” meant.
The former Perdana Fellow recently founded the youth group Challenger, which issued its first statement rejecting the prime minister's leadership.
Last October, he wrote a scathing Facebook post against Najib, describing the prime minister as a “national disgrace”.
Syed Saddiq was also the emcee at the launch of the Citizens' Declaration and the Save Malaysia movement initiated by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
The final year International Islamic University Malaysia student was also the youngest signatory of the declaration. – March 9, 2016.
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