PETALING JAYA: The higher education ministry does not restrict any party, including politicians, from having events at public universities, says Khaled Nordin.
However, the higher education minister said, any such event must get prior approval from the management.
Muda president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman was prevented from entering Universiti Teknologi Mara’s (UiTM) Shah Alam campus for a dialogue session on Thursday.
According to UiTM, the Muar MP did not go through official channels to seek approval for the event, Bernama reported.
“Perhaps there was a breakdown in communication (between the organisers and UiTM management),” Khaled was quoted as saying.
“In this case, we hope that the two parties can meet and reorganise the event again.”
UiTM cancelled the event, which was to be held at its Dataran Cendiakawan, on the grounds that it wanted to “maintain the harmony on campus”.
However, Syed Saddiq said the excuse was “nonsensical”.
The event titled “Interns are not Forced Labour” was intended to be a “peaceful dialogue” between students and the panellists, he said.
The former youth and sports minister revealed that UiTM has since agreed to reschedule the event after the fasting month if organisers invited other panellists to ensure a more balanced discussion.