LABUAN: Gerakan Mahasiswa PRU 13 (GM13) appreciated the views of the director of Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Labuan International Campus (UMS-KAL), Associate Professor Dr Ismail Ali about the detention of the five UMS-KAL’s students on March 23 at Labuan town.
Its chairman of GM13, Shah Jabran who was one of the students detained after having their Speakers’ Corner at the town, said that the remarks by Dr Ismail showed that he was a responsible leader that always cared for his students.
However, he explained that their action to have the Speakers’ Corner to express their point of views to the public at large should be looked and discussed by the university management academically.
This was because the issues raised by the GM13 were related with the interest of this country and its citizens, he said.
“The issue of the general election is close to the heart of the people. Therefore, the university students’ action to expose about the voting right to the public should be viewed as a positive thing by the university.
“We as students are part of the university’s citizens, those having the rights to talk about the election related issues in the eyes of academic and in our own way.
“Therefore, it is unfair if our sincere initiative outside the campus is seen in narrow-minded opinions by the university management,” he said.
Shah added that he believed the campus director as an experienced academician, must understand the concept of freedom in academic that belongs to every citizen in the campus.
“This right is a core principle for any intellectual activity in any established university around the globe,” he said.
He then recalled the Magna Carta Universitatum signed by more than 750 universities back in 1988 to state clearly the ‘Freedom in research and training is fundamental principle of university life, and government and universities, each as far as in them lies, must ensure respect for this fundamental requirement. Rejecting intolerance and always open to dialogue.’
Shah said that GM13 was ever ready to give the explanation in open mind to any party and their action to have the speaker’s corner in an open area also showed that they were prepared to get any response from the people listening to them.
“Our decision to have the Speakers’ Corner is not against any law of this country. Even the Federal Constitution is providing an exclusive right to the citizens of this country to express their opinions freely.
“I opined that our action is more fair compared to certain universities here in this country that allowed their lecture halls to be used by the irresponsible parties to slander the opposition political parties and the student activists.
“From GM13’s point of view, their dogma or agenda in the lecture halls had tarnished those universities’ names as the management of those universities are easy to be used for the political interest of certain quarters,” he said.
GM13 believed that with the open-mindedness of UMS-KAL’s director to give ample space to the lecturers and students to practise the freedom in academic creatively and critically would raise the UMS’ image as a leading academic centre in a better environment.
Shah urged the fellow students, especially in UMS-KAL, to join them to celebrate the principle of academic liberation to create a more conducive environment for the intellectual activities.
“The knowledge gained in the campus must be shared to the public to regain the university status as the door of knowledge.
“The students must return their role as people’s scholars that are playing such a big role to build up the people’s thinking capability to develop a highly knowledgeable people.
“This duty is a student’s basic responsibility as the young minds of this country have been gradually ignored due to the unhealthy academic competition inside the lecture rooms,” he said.