Thread by @IMMikhailHafiz

"The cancellation by UTM said to be the recommendation of their 'Islamic Center' poses serious questions on the role of the university as a place to enlighten minds or a place to condition knowledge based on a narrow perspective of religious tolerance."

https://twitter.com/rahah_ghazali/status/1402262249390149634

"One of the important aspects of nation-building that is lacking in this country is the sharing and appreciation of other cultures like those of the Kadazan, Murut, Dayak, Iban and Orang Asli."

"The issue also raises the questionable role of universities in nation building with regards to knowledge of a shared heritage in arts."

"For me, a 34-year academic veteran, the university is a place to question tradition and to discover new information, perspectives and narratives that were not given out in social or religious circles in society."

"If a university does not produce new and meaningful knowledge then the university approaches that of a worker training center at best and a propaganda machine at worse."

"With respect to the issue of 'offending some people' that was stated as the reason for the cancellation, I am most surprised at this position. Who are the people that would be offended? Will Ramli Ibrahim offend the Hindus?"

"I think the Hindus would be proud that a Malay-Muslim personality is honoring their traditional art form.

Will Ramli offend the Malay-Muslim society?"

"I need to remind the 'scholars' at that university that the Malays were once Hindus and Buddhists for a very long period of time as evidenced by the stone inscriptions and Lembah Bujang building remains."

"The scholar Kassim Ahmad pointed out that the Malay Language of old consist of nine different tongues which included Arabic, Sanskrit and Indian origins. Hang Tuah himself was said to have learned altogether 12 languages to navigate the Malay world at his time."

"It certainly seems that the Malays of old were more intellectual and open minded then some Malays at the higher education institution in the modern day."

"I am glad that I had gotten a Public Service Department Scholarship to study in the USA. Much of who I am and why I take such 'controversial' perspectives and thoughts is a product of the freedom of thinking allowed in universities in the West."

"When I began teaching at a public university in Malaysia, there were no more interesting and open thoughts for me until I began to attend forums and discussion groups outside of the fences and massive gateways of the university."

"When a university advocates the closing of the mind to ideas, perspectives, narratives of the arts, history and spirituality of others, the institution ceases to be a meaningful bridge (cont'd below)

between civilizations across cultural, religious and political divides as well ceases also to be a link to the immensity of knowledge throughout the dawn of enlightened human beings."

"Without an 'open thought university' we will all be in our own social, political and religious graveyard of ignorance."