“Our struggle is not on party-based ideology or selfishness but we uphold the principle of academic freedom, student autonomy and constitutional values.
“Based on these three principles, PMUM champions the fate of students based on the principles and not be stifled by any primitive ideology,” he said.
A memorandum – 'A Memorandum to the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin concerning UM8 issue' – was supposed to be sent to the Ruler but the attempt turned futile.
Mohd Ammar said a similar memorandum was sent to Universiti Malaya vice-chancellor, Datuk Prof Dr Amin Jalaluddin.
He also said that PMUM had stepped forward as a mean to give constructive criticism seeking a change in the primitive judiciary system that represents the university’s students and that it did not abide to the standards based on natural justice principles.
PMUM president, Mohd Ammar Atan (right) holding the memorandum 'A Memorandum to the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin concerning UM8 issue' – Astro AWANI/ MARIAH AHMAD
PMUM vice-president, Teh Wei Loon also pledged his full support towards the movement seeking for the university to drop the punishments against the students.
“Race is a non-issue. As graduates, we always face resistance when we voice our opinions and don’t discriminate,” he said.
“I call for the fullest support from the students and hope to obtain positive response from the vice-chancellor with the regards to the memorandum we had sent earlier,” said Teh Wei.
Economics and Administration lecturer Lee Hwok Aun viewed ‘Occupy UM’ at the entrance of the university as ‘symbolic’.
“I laud the action of the students who have pledged their support for UM8. What they are doing is linked to economic freedom and ‘Occupy UM’ can send out a message to fellow Malaysians on freedom of speech,” he said.