Security reportedly tight in UM ahead of Anwar event

Campus security at Universiti Malaya (UM) is noticeably tighter ahead of Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's scheduled appearance at the institution on Monday.

Traffic was already building up at the university's Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya gates around 11am, as cars without official UM stickers were stopped and questioned by campus security.

The Damansara gate near the Kerinchi Link toll booth was closed. This was in stark contrast to just three hours earlier when vehicles were freely allowed to enter the campus.

Earlier at 7am, guards posted at the Petaling Jaya gate on Jalan Gasing scarcely looked at vehicles streaming in (motorists regularly use the campus as a "shortcut" between Petaling Jaya and Brickfields).

It was reported on Sunday that the university would supposedly be in a lockdown, with all its entrances except the main gate to be shut by 4pm, over a student event with Anwar that is set to take place at 9pm.

It was also reported that the police would allegedly handle the university's security from 7am onwards.

However, UM sources and the police subsequently denied these reports, saying that neither parties’ had plans nor knowledge of the lockdown.

As of 12.30pm, it appeared to be a calm and regular day at the UM campus, with no police personnel in sight.