PM reminds student leaders to uphold principle of intellectual honesty
(The Star) SHAH ALAM: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has reminded student leaders at public and private institutions of higher learning to avoid becoming “activists” by spreading malicious slander and rumours.
The Prime Minister said they should use their brains to filter and sift through facts rather than be influenced by malicious slander and rumours.
“I just hope that you can uphold the principle of intellectual honesty in assessing and scrutinising certain issues which arise from time to time,” he said.
He said this at the launch of the Dewan Amal Islam Hadhari (Damai) club in public higher learning institutions at UiTM here yesterday.
Najib advised student leaders to criticise wisely rather than simply spew mindless criticisms.
“We want to see student leaders with dynamic and healthy minds in terms of airing views and opinions,” he said.
He urged students not only to excel academically but also to become multilinguists, multitaskers and multiskilled people.
“In today’s globalised era, it is about the war of the minds, not military or physical war.
“The conquerors of the minds are the champions,” he said.
Najib also reminded student leaders to ensure that their activities and programmes were relevant to youths.
“Make sure that your activities are not syok sendiri (self-indulgent) in nature.
“Do not forget to help and guide the youngsters and your undergraduate friends to be on the right path,” he said.
He gave an assurance that the Government would continuously support initiatives to train new student leaders according to the right path that could be of great benefit to them.
He expressed dismay over the behaviour of some student leaders who had a lot of potential but instead led students to be involved in aggression, rioting and demonstrations.
He said the Government would monitor student associations which actively carried out unhealthy activities from time to time.
On the setting of Damai Club, Najib said it was a noble method to produce future leaders who upheld the Islamic leadership concept and who emphasised on discipline and tarbiyah (Islamic education).
During the launch, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zahid Hamidi also handed over the chairmanship of Damai to Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah.
