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Monday, August 24, 2015

College rescinds invite to Nik Nazmi to speak at summit over ‘political stance’

Selangor executive councillor Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad says he is perplexed over Kolej Yayasan UEM’s decision to cancel his invitation to speak at its summit next week. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, August 24, 2015.Selangor executive councillor Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad says he is perplexed over Kolej Yayasan UEM’s decision to cancel his invitation to speak at its summit next week. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, August 24, 2015.
Kolej Yayasan UEM (KYUEM) has cancelled its invitation to Selangor executive councillor Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad to speak at its summit next week, citing his "political stance" as a member of the opposition.
This comes just four months after International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) cancelled a debate that was also to feature the PKR Youth chief.
In a letter dated August 17, 2015, KYUEM's headmaster Dr Paul Rogers told the Seri Setia Assemblyman that his status as a PKR member had put them in a "difficult position".
"Your political stance as an opposition member puts the college as a government-linked corporation in a difficult position," Rogers said.
He "implored" Nik Nazmi to understand their position and expressed their apologies for rescinding the invitation to the KYUEM Summit 2015.
On its website, the college describes the September 5 summit as a "prestigious annual collegiate event that will bring together the best and brightest young minds of the country" to discuss issues in politics, economics and society.
"This year's edition will feature a completely new and unorthodox format where for the first time, participants will get to choose sides and battle it out in means to achieve a meaningful discussion in the process," said KYUEM.
Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir, former CIMB Islamic Bank chief Badlisyah Abdul Ghani, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Abdul Wahid Omar and IDEAS CEO Wan Saiful Wan Jan are among those slated to speak at the event, according to its website.
In his reply to Rogers’s letter today, Nik Nazmi said the decision to disinvite him was "perplexing", as this was not the first time he would have spoken at their summit.
"My positions as an elected legislator, Selangor’s state executive councillor for education, human capital development, science, technology and innovation as well as head of the Angkatan Muda Parti Keadilan Rakyat (AMK) furthermore means that I have a duty and responsibility to constantly engage with Malaysian students and youth."
He said it was "deeply disturbing and upsetting" that KYUEM's students were seemingly not allowed to think for themselves, and that the management was preventing them from being exposed to a variety of opinions on national issues.
"One would have hoped that, as proprietors of an institution dedicated to the education and training of youth, they would have been more open-minded as well as displayed more imagination and backbone in this matter.
"It has left me to wonder therefore, whether this was genuinely the 'consensus' of the management or rather that some kind of external interference was at play."
He added that as an alumnus of KYUEM, he had been taught to stand up for what was right and to have an independent mind.
The Malaysian Insider has contacted KYUEM and is now awaiting a response.
- TMI

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