Fauwaz Abdul Aziz, Malaysiakini, Aug 18, 2005
The Institute of Policy Studies (IKD) will take legal action against Universiti Malaya (UM) over an allegedly libelous circular proscribing its students from attending the think tank’s annual seminar.
At a press conference in Kuala Lumpur today, IKD executive director Khalid Jaafar said their lawyers have determined that there are grounds to seek legal redress against the university’s Student Affairs and Alumni Office (HEP) and will serve the notice next week.
The circular, posted in various places in the university’s campus, described IKD as “a tool or agent of an opposition party set up for the purpose of spreading propaganda, defamation, libel and to incite hatred of the government.”
The circular also warned students against attending the seminar, which the university claimed had the capacity to “corrupt their thinking and behavior”. It also stated that those who did not heed the warning could be punished under the Universities and University Colleges Act 1975.
The IKD seminar, held on Aug 6-7 to commemorate the upcoming anniversary of Malaysia’s independence, revolved around the theme of ‘Reviving the Meaning of Malaysia’. It featured former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim as the key speaker as well as notable local and international literary figures such as Prof Muhd Salleh and Indonesian poet WS Rendra. At the seminar, Rendra had noted the visible lack of university students and commented that such an event in Indonesia would have been overflowing with students, who would sit on the sides and both ends of the stage.
‘Contemptuous attitude’
Meanwhile, Khalid said there might have been other verbal directives in the past to prohibit UM students from attending an IKD programme but this was the first time it came in a written form. “We regard (the statements) as very serious because it comes not from a small party division but one of the oldest universities in Malaysia that have given rise to many leaders and intellectually influenced and shaped our minds.
“The statements are reflective of their rashness, intellectual backwardness, and contemptuous attitude against critical thinking,” he added. Khalid (photo, right) also recounted the international recognition accorded to IKD for its programmes to discuss issues relating to democracy, fundamental rights, communal and religious conflict which are in line with universal values and principles.
He also asserted that IKD had never advocated partisan politics in any of its programmes, although critical views have been expressed therein.Critical of government policiesThis did not mean, however, that views critical of government policies are to be dismissed as merely ‘oppositional’, he said. “Since (IKD’s inception) in 1985, we have organised a lot of programmes where we have invited international leaders such as (then Philippine president) Fidel Ramos and programmes to Vietnam, Thailand Indonesia and other places in the region.
“We have never organised programmes that espoused partisan politics. There were some (participants to our programmes) who are from the opposition parties, and we have also held discussions on issues of democracy and the media,” he said. “Sometimes, there have been views (expressed in the programmes) that are critical of the political leadership. But critical views cannot be lumped together as merely being oppositional views,” he added.
Speaking to malaysiakini later, Khalid said international statesmen had been invited and attended programmes organised by IKD. They include former US secretary of defense William Cohen, former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger and Brigadier General George Yeo of Singapore. In 1996, he said the Philippine Congress relayed its official appreciation to IKD for its recognition of Philippine national hero Jose Risal in the programme ‘Jose Rizal and the Asian Renaissance.’
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