A group of Universiti Malaya (UM) students held flashmob at the campus gates, Thursday as a mark of solidarity for the eight students involved in organising a talk involving Pakatan Rakyat de facto leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at the university on Oct 27.

An approximate 30 students gathered for the flashmob as a protest against the punishments meted out to students for organising the political gathering against the university's order.

Islamic Studies student, Nur Liana Abdul Latif, 21 said the flashmob is symbolic and tells the public on how the students, collectively known as, 'UM8' have been treated.

"This is our way of telling the outside world on how the students were held and punished for organising the rally and for their act of being too vocal,” said Nur Liana.

UM Islamic Students Association deputy president, Sobiroh Mohd Fuzi, 22 said the flashmob was organised for several reasons. Firstly, it aims to create awareness among the public as a sign on solidarity for their peers as well as to persuade the university to drop the punishments imposed on the students.

“We had occupied since Wednesday and also held a press conference," she added.

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SOLIDARITY: The group of 30 students who were involved in the flashmob held as a sign of solidarity of the eight students (UM8) involved in the political rally on Oct 27. - Photo by Astro AWANI

Sharafi Ilman, 21 said the punishments were outrageous citing that it opposed to the Section 15 of Universities and University Colleges Act (AUKU) 1971 allowing students to participate in politics.