Azizan lashes out at Pas colleagues
They jumped the gun and blamed me, says MB
(New Straits Times) – KNOWN for not mincing his words, Kedah Pas commissioner and Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak yesterday slammed his detractors — Pas deputy president Mohamad Sabu and Youth chief Nasrudin Hassan — for “jumping the gun”.
Azizan said his two colleagues, along with Parti Keadilan Rakyat communication director Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, were undermining his handling of the suspension of five students at the state-owned Kolej Universiti Insaniah (KUIN).
He said the three were ignorant of the case but had been quick to accuse him of having invoked the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 (UUCA) against the five students.
“They simply jumped the gun and blamed me for invoking the UUCA against the students,” said Azizan in a telephone interview.
Azizan said his detractors had never bothered to check the facts with him before openly mocking him.
“They simply accused me of wrongdoing, including going against the wishes of the party and the opposition pact.
“I had also said publicly that outsiders should not interfere in our affairs.”
Azizan, who is KUIN chairman, said the suspension was a disciplinary action taken against the students as provided under the Private Higher Education Institutions Act 1996.
“KUIN or I never invoked the UUCA against the students.
“We only used the provisions under the Private Higher Education Institutions Act to punish them.”
Also known as Act 555, the act governs and applies to all private higher education institutions in the country.
The five students were suspended after they staged a protest against KUIN’s plan to vacate the hostel and make way for the state government’s smart school, Sekolah Insan Bistari, in April last year.
Mohamed Sabu had said that Azizan would have to explain his action at the Pas central working committee meeting on Feb 12.
Nasrudin, meanwhile, had said that although he respected Azizan’s decision, Pas Youth would support the suspended students.
Nik Nazmi, who is Seri Setia assemblyman, had said he regretted KUIN’s decision to invoke the UUCA against the students.
