00:00Former Penang Deputy Chief Minister P. Ramasamy recalled receiving a few warning letters from
00:08Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia when he was a lecturer there decades ago.
00:13Ramasamy, who criticised UKM's recent circular prohibiting its staff from issuing statements
00:19on government policies, said the university had acted on complaints when they issued him
00:25the warning letters. He said he received one or two warning letters when he wrote articles
00:31critical of the government and leadership, especially former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir
00:36Mohamad. He was also warned for being openly critical about the treatment of plantation
00:42workers in the country and for accusing the government and employers of being in cahoots
00:47to offer these workers a raw deal. He revealed that UKM disapproved of his involvement in pro-labour
00:54activities outside campus, particularly at plantations in Pahang, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan.
01:02Though he was not dismissed, he said he was not offered an extension after retiring in May 2005.
01:10UKM's circular, which barred its staff from making public statements critical of the government,
01:15made its rounds on social media. Although a UKM source confirmed the authenticity of the circular,
01:21the university denied it had imposed such a ban.
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