AFTER being barred from entering Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia for a forum last night, Hishamuddin Rais has now been urged by the Education Ministry to go on a nationwide tour of public universities.

Its minister, Maszlee Malik, said universities were places for open discourse and no one should be restricted from them.

“I will ask Hishamuddin to go on a tour of public universities and they should allow him space,” he said at the Parliament lobby today.

The Simpang Rengam MP said this would also serve as a lesson for public universities in the future if they halted any talks.

“This is a lesson to public universities: you do not prevent intellectual discussion.

“Academic freedom is now being killed when it only just got revived,” Maszlee said.  

Last night, UKM cancelled a political discussion organised by student activists on the grounds that it did not have the approval of the administration.

The discussion was to feature social activist Hishamuddin and was titled Reformasi Struktural: Mahathir vs Anwar Lagi.

Upon arriving at the venue, Hishamuddin was denied entry by UKM security personnel.

Event spokesman Mohamad Azan Safar later revealed that the organisers had not sought permission from the university administration.

However, he said two similar programmes had been organised by them without permission from the administration and had gone on without any hitches. – November 21, 2018.