Lowering the banner bearing the likeness of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak at the UMNO headquarters was a sign of protest, says Solidariti Mahasiswa Malaysia (SMM) student activist Adam Adli, who was suspended for 18 months by Sultan Idris Education University (or UPSI) for his actions. The incident took place after a group of SMM and Movement for Academic Freedom (BEBAS) student activists had handed over a memorandum on academic freedom to Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah on December 17th.

Adam stands by his actions, saying that prior to the rally that day, their previous memorandums had gone unnoticed in the past. "It was a sign of protest, and to show we are serious, we have to do it in a way that people will actually notice and pay atention. It's about getting attention from everyone - the students, the society, ministers and the Prime Minister, who as the head of the country, needs to pay attention to what we are demanding for," he tells BFM in a recent interview. "Without lowering the banner, how can I raise the flag of academic freedom?" he says.

In the following interview, Adam talks about previous flag-lowering incidents in Malaysia, whether being a student activist has affected his studies, as well as the cause he is fighting for.