Braving the rain, close to 2000 students turned up at the Bangsar entrance of University Malaya in defiance of a ban from authorities who had prohibited them from attending a talk by opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim which was to be held in the university grounds.
Hours before the scheduled talk by Anwar on the eve of his Sodomy appeal in the Federal Court, the university Registrar sent out a circular asking staff to leave by 4pm, citing “electricity issues” caused by bad weather. Due to cancelled classes, the university was virtually shut down and gates were locked in an attempt to prevent Anwar from entering the university compound.
The reasons given by the authorities incensed many students and was widely ridiculed by netizens as “lame”. Many students said they decided to attend the talk on the spur of the moment after the “embarrassing” way the university tried to clamp down on the talk.
There were doubts about whether the PKR de facto leader – himself a UM alumnus – would be able to enter the university for his talk in Dataran Tunku Canselor. Heavy police presence and lockdown seemed a formidable obstacle in the way of the event organised by the Student’s Council (PMUM). However the organisers were adamant that it would carry on, even if the guest speaker had to speak outside the university gates.
By 8pm, a large crowd had gathered in from of the locked university gates, mostly students from University Malaya and some from other universities that had expressed solidarity with the organisers. Anwar was invited to speak at his alma mater after not having been back for 20 years.
Despite the rain, the crowd grew as they waited for Anwar’s arrival – he had four events planned for the night. Student leaders stood on a four wheel drive pickup truck to give speeches and encourage the others to be patient. They led the crowds in chants of “Hidup hidup! Mahasiswa!” (long live the students!) Several lecturers were also present including law professor Azmi Sharom, who had recently been charged under the Sedition Act.
Azmi was spotted trying to negotiate with the security team to allow the peaceful entry of students who wanted to attend the talk.
At about 10pm, the restless crowd, which now numbered close to 2000 stormed the gates of UM. They pushed the gate open by force, breaking the chains that held it shut. The main gate itself was not damaged.
“We ask those from the other side of the divide to step aside when we break through,” said one of the students over his hailer before the incident.
Despite efforts to by Azmi Sharom to insist on a peaceful entry, and who himself was seen trying to physically prevent the gates from being broken into, the students succeeded in forcing their way through.
Once inside, the crowd paced along Lingkungan Budi and waited as Anwar Ibrahim arrived at about 10.10pm. He was seen on the back of a pickup truck together with his wife and Parti Keadilan Rakyat leader Wan Azizah, and his daughter Nurul Izzah (Lembah Pantai MP).
By then, screams and cheers of “Reformasi!” and “Hancur Hancur Kebodohan!” were more spirited. The pick up truck led the droves of students and activists to the Dewan Tunku Chancellor, where Anwar was supposed to deliver his speech. Since university authorities had made it impossible for a speech to be held inside the hall, students had to settle for the compound outside the hall, unperturbed.
Anwar Ibrahim addressed the ecstatic crowd, praising the brave youth for organizing the talk albeit having been warned by the university not to do so.
He said that he did not see what was wrong with him meeting and speaking with students since other UMNO political leaders were free to address the students of University Malaya in the past.
He quoted from a book titled “excellence without a soul” by Harry Lewis on Harvard University; which he said was producing graduates without a soul; who find no reason to care for society. Anwar said that this is not something he wishes to see in the University that gave rise to many leaders including himself.
“I have been oppressed in the last 16 years, what is wrong if I spoke for 20 minutes to defend myself.”
“The powers that be are afraid of this just because of an ‘anwar’. ”
“I tell you now, Anwar has been defeated, but the youth will rise and take his place!”
Anwar also said that he was glad to see youth of all races come out in throngs to receive the opposition leader. “Malays, Chinese, Indians, Melanau, Bajau, Kadazan, Dayak, Iban, Murut youth are all here! This is the shape of the future of the nation!” he exclaimed.
He shared his fear that if the federal government has its way, different races will be divided further and issues of religion and extremism will cloak the sore state of corruption and the stifling of freedom in the nation.
Anwar said that it was wrong to oppress minority races because Malaysia belongs to all Malaysians.
“You have a right to defend the rights all the races in the country because this is your land!”
He also took some time to say a few words to defend himself with respect to the Sodomy 2 trial where he was found guilty but granted a stay of appeal, saying that he is innocent of the crime and that there is no case against him.
After the speech that ended close to 11 pm, Kluang MP Liew Chin Tong told The Rocket that he found the event electrifying, and that he never expected such a huge turnout.
“Something is brewing.”
“I think if Anwar is jailed, there will be an uprising. There is a strong sense of anti-establishment amongst the youth.”
Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli said that he too was shocked by the number of students who showed up.
“Very enlightened youth of today – even more than the youth of my time in 98’. Our political awakening was because we were shocked. But these students understand that what they are fighting for is a better Malaysia.”
“If I were BN I will be very scared.” -The Rocket
