Kuala Lampur, June 17 -- The recent decision by Universiti Malaya (UM), Malaysia's oldest university, to cancel a student-organised documentary screening and forum on assembly rights illustrates a worrying narrowing of academic space.

When the student collectives Mandiri and Liga Mahasiswa tried to examine the practical and civic significance of the Peaceful Assembly Act, administrators abruptly pulled the plug, citing vague concerns about "security and public order."

Student organisers framed the move not merely as an isolated act of censorship but as symptomatic of a deeper institutional reluctance to accommodate critical engagement.

Their response was uncompromising.

Describing the cancellation as "a blatant violation of academic f...