KUALA LUMPUR: Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) has cancelled Lawyers for Liberty executive director Eric Paulsen’s (pic) invitation to speak on security laws and the Islamic State (IS) at an event on Sunday.

Paulsen said on Saturday that he was initially invited by the institute’s Asian Law Students’ Association (ALSA) in July.  

But on Friday, he was informed by ALSA representatives that he was no longer a speaker at the event as his views on security laws and human rights were “too controversial for law students”.

“I am extremely disappointed as our students deserve better,” he said, adding that public universities were accountable to the public and should therefore justify their actions.

“They (universities) must be independent; embrace academic freedom in order to have a chance to be a top tier university,” said Paulsen.