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Malaysian students warned off Anwar Ibraham event in Adelaide
Sydney Morning Herald - October 18, 2013
Mr Anwar has slammed the email under the name of Malaysia's Public Services Department saying it illustrates a "siege mentality" by Malaysia's ruling United Malays National Organisation.
"They do not want the students to be exposed to other views because we are often labelled as pro-Communist and pro-Christian," Mr Anwar said in Kuala Lumpur before leaving for Australia. "They cannot imagine that we have direct access to the students," he said.
The email dated October 14 and purportedly signed by the Public Services Department's Australian adviser Shahrezan Sheriff warned students that attending the event could make it harder for them to earn good grades and avoid their scholarships "going down the drain." "I wouldn't hesitate to take stern action to those [scholars] involved," the email read.
Mr Anwar's three-party Pakatan Rakyat opposition alliance won a majority of the popular vote at elections on May 5 but the ruling Barisan Nasional Coalition was returned with 60 per cent of the seats because of an electoral system that favours Malay Muslims in rural constituencies.
South Australian premier Jay Weatherill said earlier this week his state was proud to host the visit by 65 year-old Mr Anwar, who he described as a leading democracy campaigner. Mr Anwar is due to hold a conversation with ABC broadcaster Waleed Aly at Adelaide University.
South Australian independent Senator Nick Xenophon, who was deported and banned from Malaysia earlier in the year after meeting Mr Anwar, is also expected to attend. Senator Xenophon described Mr Anwar as beacon of hope for democracy, not just in Malaysia but the whole region.
Organisers of the Festival of Ideas said this year's event had a focus on political institutions and where they went wrong. Mr Anwar's event is titled "Festival of Ideas – Dissent and Democracy: An Audience with Anwar Ibrahim." Mr Anwar, a one-time firebrand Islamic student leader, is also scheduled to attend a mosque in Adelaide on Friday.
Malaysian media have confirmed that Mr Shahrezan is an adviser in the Sydney office of Malaysia's Public Services Department and is listed as an adviser for Education Malaysia Australia. Mr Shahrezan was not available to comment to the media.
A spokeswoman for Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said the minister was travelling and referred enquiries to her department.
A Foreign Affairs department spokesman said: "All students residing in Australia, including Malaysian students, enjoy all rights and liberties available under the Australian law, including the ability to attend a wide variety of legitimate events taking place in Australia. The Festival of Ideas in Adelaide is one such event."
Mr Ibrahim told Fairfax Media that he found it difficult to understand why the Australian government was not giving a more robust response to what was "evidence of an official's intimidation... and a clear contravention of your laws".
Senator Xenophon accused the Australian government of a "shameful response". "Their silence on this issue is emboldening the thuggish and paranoid behaviour of the Malaysian government," he said.
[With David Wroe.]
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