MALAYSIA: Students warned over illegal protest

Staging demonstrations that breach the laws of Malaysia is not the proper way to learn about politics. Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said university students, like everyone else, must observe the law, write Jaspal Singh and Roy See Wei Zhi for New Straits Times.

"No one should participate in activities that would jeopardise the country's peace and harmony," Khaled said, commenting on a demonstration organised by various university students at the Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris campus. While he supported the move to amend the Universities and University Colleges Act to allow students to participate in politics, he felt that demonstrating was not a valid way to learn about the subject matter.

Meanwhile, Inspector-general of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar said police were acting within their jurisdiction in detaining 70 students who tried to gain entry to the campus. Perak Police Chief Datuk Shukri Dahalan said 14 students were arrested for refusing to disperse after repeated warnings and two more were detained when they turned up at the police station to demand the release of their friends.
Full report on the New Straits Times site