[ Laman Ehwal Semasa ReformIS ]
Date: 02 Sep 1999
Time: 01:29:35
Remote User: -
PM to answer student queries
By Shahanaaz Sher Habib
PETALING JAYA: University students will have the opportunity to raise questions of their concern directly to Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad in a dialogue session.
The Prime Minister will meet the students at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia on Sept 9.
UKM deputy vice-chancellor (student affairs) Prof Datuk Wan Hashim Wan Teh said after Dr Mahathir's speech, "at least an hour" would be allocated for students to ask questions.
"We have no plans to screen the questions. We will leave it to them.
"We hope they will be mature and ask good questions and not emotional ones," he said when contacted yesterday.
Some 4,000 undergraduates, including representatives from the student council and societies from 11 local institutions of higher learning and four private institutions have been invited.
Prof Wan Hashim said each of the institutions would have their turn to ask the Prime Minister at least one question, and more if time permits.
He said the gathering organised by the UKM student affairs department was, in fact, a consolidation of various meetings ministers have had with groups of undergraduates.
"This is the climax. The students said they want nothing less than the Prime Minister," he said.
Prof Wan Hashim added he "was given the impression that Dr Mahathir was enthusiastic to come" and meet the students.
To a question, he denied this had anything to do with the coming general election as the idea for the gathering had been mooted about a year back.
"I believe the students will behave themselves," he said when asked of the possibility of students jeering the Prime Minister.
Shortly after the sacking of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim from the Cabinet and Government, student unions at the universities appear to have thrown their support behind the sacked deputy prime minister and opposition parties, claiming their action was in the name of justice.
Umno leaders taking part in debates at the universities have been jeered at.
UKM student union acting president Faizal Mahamud said he hoped Dr Mahathir would be able to address all kemusykilan (doubts) in the minds of the students.
"We hope to find good answers. There is no problem for us to listen and evaluate for ourselves. Students are always looking for information," he said.