YOURSAY ‘It is the young who have inherited the terrible burden bequeathed them.’

Students storm locked UM gates for Anwar talk

Louis: Such huge protest and breaking down of the Universiti Malaya’s gate would have been avoided if only the vice-chancellor has been sensitive to feelings of the students.

Undergraduates are no longer children. They are old enough to decide what they want. Why must the university deny them a chance to listen to Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim in the campus hall?

If only Anwar was allowed to speak in the great hall, the crowd would be peaceful.

Abasir: What was once the country's foremost university has been, in the hands of imbeciles, reduced to openly lying and misleading its students.

Deliberately cancelling classes and shutting down administrative offices citing electricity issues is reflective of the university's crookedness.

J Ng: UM is a disgrace not just because it barred Anwar from giving the talk. It is clearly and openly lying in citing electricity issues.

The action clearly depicts dishonesty. Why can't UM give the true reason for canceling classes and allowing the earlier release of its staff?

As an academic institution, it is showing the students that telling lies are acceptable.

Apa Ini?: There are moments in a student's life that will stay memorable forever, like the one in UM on Monday night.

Do you decide to stand up for what is right, do you have the courage to demonstrate for academic freedom, do you want to hear the other side of the story - or, do you worry about being 'caught' and blacklisted because you joined the protest?

It's called 'growing up' and becoming your own man. Well done, all of the students who turned up.

Mushiro: Congratulations UM students. It is back to the good old days of the early 70s when student power was strong and the university ranked high.

The current set of Umno-appointed UM staff who are apple polishers should be replaced for UM to shine again. A university should encourage healthy debates, be it political, economic, religious or anything else.  

Dappy: My salute to UM Students Association (PMUM) president Fahmi Zainol for his bravery and the strong turnout of students.

This united front of university students sent a very strong message to the BN government that people can no longer be fooled and kept ignorant. The people are demanding that DSAI (Anwar) is freed of the conspiracy charge. 

Casey: "Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable... Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals," said Martin Luther King, Jr.

For all his purported "baggage" and fallibility, there is little doubt that to Anwar, we - as a nation - are much indebted.

Dr Suresh Kumar: Indebted for what? For destroying our education system with his Islamisation policies when he was in Abim (Malaysian Muslim Youth Movement) and implemented it when he was the education minister?

For getting rid of the English-medium schools? For cheating the poor Kampung Buah Pala folks? For the taking the people of Kajang for a ride by forcing the resignation of a democratically-elected leader?

For changing his alliance from Abim to Umno instead of PAS as what he initially planned, so that he can change Umno within Umno but ended up a die-hard Umno stalwart who cursed and vilified DAP and PAS to appease his Umno masters?

For ordering the removal of the cross signs from missionary schools? Tell me mate, indebted for what?

Hang Tuah PJ: Dr Suresh Kumar, I agree with you. I too don’t like DSAI because of his racist policies when he was DPM (remember the part about demolishing temples when he was DPM - his life seemed to go down the drain after that), but I have been supportive of him since his first incarceration based on principles.

I am sure he has realised his follies which if I am not mistaken, he did admit at one time. Look who is standing strongly by him now - lawyers N Surendran and Sankara Nair, the late Karpal Singh, Lim Guan Eng, Latheefa Koya, Tian Chua and many more non-Malays as well as Malays.

I believe this has opened his eyes and he knows his enemies are from within his own people - ‘sesama bangsa dan agama’, so they say. Be forgiving, and as I am a Muslim I believe he has repented and may Allah swt guide him daily to take the right path.

Where Is Justice: Malaysia's judicial system has been tainted to the point of no return. A utter overhaul to de-root these cowards in the judicial system, especially the attorney-general (AG), is the only way to restore the sanctity of this once great institution.

Axolotl: I'm so grateful there are brave and intelligent young men like Fahmi Zainol who can show the way forward to all students.

It is the young who have inherited the terrible burden bequeathed them by their greed-blinded, fear-governed, ego-driven forefathers.

Youth is naturally drawn towards all that is honest, real and true. They can see right through fake leaders and teachers and smell that the incumbent government is rotten beyond redemption.

I salute Anwar Ibrahim, his amazing family, and every single person who was there to defy the overpaid, spineless, Umnofied goons posing as UM management.

How auspicious that the youth should break the chain and fling open the gate on the 27th anniversary of Mahathir's disastrous Operation Lalang which crippled the nation morally and legally for almost two generations.

May his greatest rival prove victorious?

The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments. Over the past one year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now.