[Watch] Universiti Malaya Declares Campus-Wide Solidarity With Palestine, Denies Blocking Student Rally

The university stressed it has never prevented any student or staff from expressing support for Palestinians and remains committed to amplifying Palestinian voices in academic spaces.

Hamdin Nordin/Liga Mahasiswa UM

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Universiti Malaya (UM) has come out swinging against claims it shut down a Palestinian solidarity rally, declaring that the entire campus community stands with Palestine and sympathises with the oppression faced by Gaza residents.

The oldest university in Malaysia made it crystal clear: “The entire campus community is in solidarity with Palestine and deeply sympathises with the oppression faced, especially by the people of Gaza.”

The university fired back at accusations from the National Youth Federation of Malaysia (Federasi), which claimed UM had prohibited the rally and threatened student organisers with disciplinary action and police reports during a midnight meeting.

UM says it never blocked the solidarity event—it just asked the organisers to reschedule due to the terrible timing.

Rally Moved Off-Campus

The proposed rally clashed with Orientation Week for over 6,000 new students at the Dewan Tunku Canselor and surrounding areas.

“The university emphasised that the program was not prohibited, but was suggested to be rescheduled to ensure the smooth implementation of other campus activities.”

Despite the scheduling conflict, the solidarity rally proceeded—just outside the campus grounds, rather than on university property.

UM maintained that while it respects students’ rights to express humanitarian solidarity, it’s responsible for ensuring that all campus activities run safely and orderly, without disrupting academic operations or affecting the well-being of other community members.

The university added that all campus activities must comply with applicable regulations, but made no mention of the alleged midnight intimidation meeting that Federasi claimed took place.