Attention! : Page One lead article from "Varsity" (Cambrdge
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This
article was the Page One lead article in the Cambridge University Student Union
Newspaper, "Varsity ", issue 254 dated 6 October 2000.
Anger
at PM's visit
By Elizabeth Day and Ben Sheriff
The Cambridge University Malaysian Society is
embroiled in controversy
this week over its decision to invite the Malaysian Prime
Minister to
speak at a forum, in spite of Malaysia's recent human rights
record.
The conference, 'Malaysia in the New Millennium', will be held
tomorrow.
According to CUMAS President, Tan Khoon Tee, its sole aim is to bring
together
"key Malaysian policy-makers to discuss current Malaysian
issues".
Yet the Cambridge Coalition for a Free Malaysia has written to the
University
Chancellor Prince Philip protesting against the invitation
extended to Dr
Mahathir Mohamad and claiming the support of a Cambridge
Nobel Prize winner for
their protest. They accuse the Malaysian Premier of
using restrictive
legislation such as the Internal Security Act to curb
freedom of expression and
association.
The allegations surround Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim,
who was
dismissed from his post in September 1998 by Dr Mohamad, arrested and
severely
beaten in custody. At his trial, witnesses reversed their
previous testimony
and Anwar's lawyer was jailed, leading to near-universal
condemnation of the
Malaysian regime by human rights groups worldwide.
Amnesty International is
staging a peaceful protest outside the conference
venue, Lady Mitchell Hall, on
Saturday. Clare Hinkley Smith, Cambridge
University Amnesty President, plans to
be there "to give voice to the
concerns of Malaysian students unable to
express themselves freely". Almost
all Malaysian students at
Cambridge are government funded scholars and
therefore unable to protest
openly.
Amidst this growing furore, several economists and academics from
Cambridge
University are allegedly boycotting the conference, citing previous
commitments
and withdrawing their participation. In spite of an
invitation, and CUMAS' initial
insistence that he would be participating,
University Vice-Chancellor
Professor Sir Alec Broers will not be attending,
"due to a longstanding
prior engagement," although it was understood until
quite recently that he
would be there.
He will instead be sending his deputy, Mrs Anne
Lonsdale. The
Vice-Chancellor said, "Malaysia sends more students to
Cambridge today than
any other Commonwealth country and its students are highly
motivated with
an impressive record of achievement. They are also
forward-looking, as
illustrated by their organisation of the 'Malaysia in the
New Millennium'
conference, the importance of which is indicated by the
attendance of the
Prime Minister."
Professor Amartya Sen, Master of
Trinity College and a former Nobel Prize
winner was also unable to attend
"owing to previous ngagements".
Speculation from some sources has
linked Professor Sen with the Coalition
for a Free Malaysia's claim of support from a
Nobel Prize Winner.
Mr Michael Kitson of St Catharine's College, who will
be speaking at the
conference, refused to comment on the Malaysian regime's
human rights
record. The reluctance at the highest levels of the university to
give the
CUMAS forum an official stamp of approval has not dampened Tan Khoon
Tee's
enthusiasm for the conference. The CUMAS President said, "The very
fact
that the Malaysian Prime Minister has agreed to attend proves that he is
willing
to answer any allegations."
Further defending the forum from an onslaught of
criticism, Tan Khoon Tee
said this week that the Prime Minister's opponents
"have the right to
express an opinion but the way in which they express it
needs due
consideration. Quite a lot of the opposition is motivated by personal
sentiment
or loyalty to someone."
Jenny Kleeman, a third year SPS student who
earlier this year participated
in a peaceful demonstration against the
visit of the Chinese Prime Minister
to Cambridge, responded that "no
matter how prestigious the politician, a
dismal human rights record cannot be
ignored
and the only way to make this heard is through direct action."
