Protest the sedition charge against Prof Azmi Sharom at UM on 10 Sept 2014, details below... ----- Statement On The Launch Of Solidarity4AzmiSharom Campaign (2/9/2014) by Vince Tan, coordinator for the campaign and a UM student: With the recent Sedition charge towards Associate Professor Dr Azmi Sharom, academicians and university students have come together to run a campaign called Solidarity4AzmiSharom. Students from the University of Malaya Student Union(PMUM), Progressive University of Malaya, Pro-Mahasiswa UM, Persatuan Mahasiswa Islam UM and academician Dr Lee Hwok Aun, Dr Rosli H. Mahat and others have come to an agreement that a protest should be called after recent events which trample upon the freedom of speech and academic freedom of academicians and students. Due to this, we have come to terms to stage a protest on the 10th September 2014, 1pm at the Main Bus Stop, University of Malaya (Old Speaker’s Corner) with the collaboration between students and academicians. The three key principles of this campaign would be, first, to call on fellow academicians and students to come together to support Dr Azmi Sharom and send a message that we are against his sedition charge. Second, we would like to use this opportunity to defend our academic freedom be it for academicians or students. Third, we call for the abolishment of the Sedition Act which is long overdue from the promise of Prime Minister Najib Razak to abolish it. The demands of our campaign are as follow, first to pressure the Prosecution to drop the charges towards Dr Azmi Sharom as well as other selective prosecution towards politicians from the opposition camp. Second, we call that our academic freedom should be respected whether for students or academicians by the authorities. Third, is that Prime Minister Najib Razak to fulfil his promise to repeal the Sedition Act 1948. As the appointed Campaign Coordinator together with Fahmi Zainol the President of the University of Malaya Student Union (PMUM) who is the Media Coordinator for this campaign as well as other respective members who hold their respective portfolios hope to make a mark and set things right again. We call for all students of University of Malaya to support this campaign to protect the freedom of speech and academic freedom of student and academicians alike. As a student of Dr Azmi Sharom, I have benefited from his classes such as International Human Rights and Conflict of Law. Every student who has been taught by him in the past would agree that he is a good lecturer very capable of educating the next generation of lawyers to come. It is also for this reason that we appeal to the students of the Faculty of Law, University of Malaya to show solidarity with him. With this, we call for the public to support our cause in order to uphold the rule of law and democratic principles befitting of our country. We would like to inform that the protest on 10th September 2014 is open to the public and anyone can attend. We would also like to welcome anyone who wants to join in this movement and defend the freedom of speech of academicians and the academic freedom in this country.
Posted on: Wed, 03 Sep 2014 10:17:45 +0000