KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysia government on Sunday warned university students to not be influenced by what it called “propaganda spread by certain groups to stoke hatred against the government.” Prime Minister Najib Razak's political secretary Fatmi Che Salleh said university students were being targeted by political parties against the government and “they should be wary of such groups” promoting such an agenda. “I am advising undergraduates especially those who have just registered to be careful and on guard against being deviated from their actual objective to seek knowledge,” he said. Fatmi, who is also the Kota Baharu Umno chief, was speaking at a presentation of National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) advance loan payments for the Kota Baharu Parliamentary constituency at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Tanjung Chat on Sunday. But university students told Bikyamasr.com that open dialogue and freedom of speech were important for the country, arguing instead that the government was attempting to curtail the opposition ahead of general elections scheduled to take place before April next year. “This is part of the political game and it is healthy, but the government should not be calling out the opposition for hate speech,” said Yussif Ahmad. The student, a political science Master's student, argued that “competing ideas are healthy for the country and should be supported by all Malaysians who want an open political scene where people can express their views.” He did add that if a political group is participating in hate speech, “they should be prosecuted, but to simply throw accusations is not positive for Malaysia.”
