PAS Youth comes to defence of suspended Kedah students
| Harakahdaily, | 20 January 2012 |
Jan 20: PAS Youth has lent its support to five students in Kedah whose suspension by the state-owned Insaniah University College (KUIN) raised questions of the PAS-led state government's commitment to academic freedom.
PAS Youth chief Nasrudin Hassan (right) responding to several tweets on the matter, said he hoped the students would ultimately win their legal battle challenging their suspension.
Saying it was not easy to take a side due to his high regard for party seniors, Nasrudin reiterated that the wing would like to be consistent in its opposition to the Universities and University Colleges Act, which was invoked in punishing the KUIN students last May.
“I had made two statements urging KUIN to review (its decision) and I had suggested this to (Kedah Menteri Besar) Ustaz Azizan (Abdul Razak). The issue is now in court. So, I sincerely hope that the court’s decision will side with the students. We must fight until we win,” he replied on Twitter.
WHO WILL SPEAK FOR US? ... The five students showing their suspension order, May 2011
The five students were suspended under the widely criticised UUCA for taking part in a demonstration against the varsity administration at the college's Kuala Ketil campus. They have since initiated legal action against their suspension, with a case citation scheduled in March.
Yesterday, Kedah Menteri Besar Azizan Razak broke his silence and defended the use of UUCA on the students, despite PAS and Pakatan Rakyat's promise to repeal the act once in power.
At a protest in front of the PAS headquarters Wednesday, student activist Mohd Safwan Anang who heads the Reclaim Academic Freedom Movement (Bebas) said the action by the college, whose board of directors is headed by Azizan, showed that the PAS-led state government was not walking the talk.
“Where is the stand by Kedah PAS representing PR? All these while they have been talking about academic freedom and abolishing the UUCA.
"Yet what is happening is exactly the opposite," said Safwan, who earlier this month suffered injuries when police moved in to violently disperse a students' protest against the UUCA in Tanjung Malim, Perak.
Nasrudin meanwhile stressed that PAS Youth would continue to call for the repeal of UUCA.
"PAS Youth is consistent in opposing UUCA," he told his Facebook fans.
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