Students stage demo, warn of ‘bigger’ uprising

G
OMBAK: Some 40 students from various universities staged a protest within the International Islamic University (UIA) grounds tonight, condemning “persecution” against vocal academician Professor Abdul Aziz Bari.

Gathering at about 8pm in front of the UIA mosque, the students lighted up candles and held up papers printed “Mahasiswa tuntut kebebasan akademik” (students seek academic freedom) and “Bebaskan university daripada cengkaman politik” (free university from political stranglehold).

However, the university administration confronted the students when they attempted to march to the hall where Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein was officiating at the “Piala Perdana Menteri” debate competition.

Najib speaks with a forked tongue, M'sian Christians warn Pope

In a telling sign of the changes sweeping Malaysian society, a group of Malaysian Christians warned the Pope and other foreign leaders against Prime Minister Najib Razak's forked tongue and his growing disconnect with reality.

"The conduct of Prime Minister Najib and his Barisan Nasional government at home, at least recently, has been anything but moderate! In our Malaysian colloquialism, we might say of the prime minister that dia cakap tak serupa bikin, meaning that ‘he does not do what he preaches’, or that ‘he does not walk the talk’!,"  the group said in a letter to Pope Benedict XVI.

"In this regard, we are very concerned about the timing of this official visit which follows immediately after recent repression of civil society groups which are fighting for clean and fair elections. We are also deeply concerned that some top leaders of this democratic initiative have been painted unjustly as ‘anti-Islam’ by the authorities without any basis whatsoever."

The group of 365 Catholics and other Christians in Malaysia, including a string of priests and religious leaders, signed the joint letter expressing their concern over Prime Minister Najib Razak’s official visit to the Vatican on 18 July 2011 in view of recent developments in the country.

The letter also highlighted concerns about the lack of democratic rights and religious freedom in Malaysia to enable the Pope to “understand more critically and comprehensively the political and social realities” lest the pontiff is “presented with a one-sided view of developments” in the country.