Students urged to express their opinions creatively

A student checking out a book by CIJ on freedom of expression in Malaysia 2010

University students should be more creative in utilising their freedom of expression, Centre Independent Journalism’s Ding Jo-Ann said.

Ding, the CIJ Project Coordinator/Media Monitor, thinks there have been a lot of creative ways of students expressing themselves.

“There was a flash mob last year to save the tigers [in an event called Freeze Tiger Trade] and another one in KLCC to protest controls on the media where people read the newspaper upside down,” she said.

Ding added that students could have informal conversations about current issues as well. She explained that students must “talk about things with each other and not be afraid to express themselves in a responsible and sensible manner.”

They should also participate in students’ associations or civil society organisations so they know what is happening in the country, she said after giving a talk on freedom of expression at Lakeside Campus.

During the interactive talk where Ding would ask questions to get students’ views on several topics, the importance of having freedom of expression and the controversial issues surrounding it were highlighted.

She also touched on the current state of freedom of expression in Malaysia and how our multiple laws influenced it.

She mentioned that recently, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), our country’s press freedom was ranked at number 141 (out of 178), which was our lowest position in nine years.

The talk was part of CIJ’s effort to enlighten university students on the issue of freedom of expression in Malaysia.

Taylor’s has always supported its students to freely express themselves on campus.

Last year, the Student Council held an Open Speech Day for students to voice out their opinions about the campus. They were allowed to say their dissatisfactions without restraint during the event.

The university’s VP of Institutional Marketing Loy Teik Inn was quoted in an article in Inkslingers last month saying that Taylor’s always welcomes students to express their opinions and feedback.