Students councils acting 'illegally', says coalition
Sep 15
A students' coalition has called for the immediate dissolution of the student representatives' council in each public university, and for the higher education ministry to announce the date of the annual campus elections.
The Malaysia Students Solidarity, a coalition of eight national student bodies, pointed out that the councils would be acting "illegally" from now, as their one-year term of office ends today. Section 48 (4) of the Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA) states that members of the council and its office-bearers shall be elected for a period of one year.
"As they were elected on Sept 15 last year, today is the last day of their term and any of their activities hereafter shall be deemed as illegal. They do not have any power," said coalition president Ahmad Rifaudin Abdul Wahab.
At a press conference in Universiti Malaya today, Ahmad Rifaudin said the student councils should be replaced by a 'caretaker student government' pending fresh elections.
He reiterated that the UUCA should be abolished on grounds that it is being abused by the government and campus authorities to control the students.
"One of these conspiracies is the deliberately delay in dissolving the students council," he claimed.
'Umno interference'Ahmad Rifaudin (left) further said the ministry should fix the nomination date for fresh elections on Sept 26, and set
the polling date on Oct 4 to allow for an adequate campaign period. Students had strongly protested campaign periods as short as one day in past years.
The government standardised the date of campus elections several years ago to provide for a simultaneous exercise nationwide, a move seen as a way to prevent students from assisting one another during campaigning.
The student council was once deemed the most powerful student body in a campus, but its authority eroded after the student movement peaked in the 1970s and further deteriorated after the birth of reformasi in 1999.
Ahmad Rifaudin expressed disappointment with alleged interference of Umno, the dominant party in the ruling Barisan Nasional, in order to secure the victory of 'pro-establishment' faction candidates in campuses.
He urged the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia to monitor the situation and stressed
that students should be allowed to participate in free and fair campus elections.
Democracy 'dead'Federation of Malaysian Islamic Graduates president Badrul Hanif (right), who attended the press conference, said reports that students had been intimidated during campus elections have "killed democracy" in campuses.
He also noted that there have been many complaints of irregularities during the elections.
"Previously, we were (only) threatened verbally. Today, physical threats are being made. Students' rooms are ransacked at midnight as if they possess weapons that pose a threat to national security," said Badrul.
"These actions a la the communists have turned the atmosphere in campuses into something akin to the years of 'Emergency' rule. Muslims
students who go to pray in the mosque also fear being accused with various things," he said, without elaborating.
Malaysia Youth and Students Democratic Movement representative Simon Ooi and Syamsul Azura Abd Sani of the 'UM undergraduates front supporters club' were also at the event.
USM students feel brunt of heavy-handed action
Sep 15
More allegations have emerged that students are being intimidated ahead of annual campus elections expected to be held within the next month.
The latest case was that of a female Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) student, who was 'held' for questioning by the campus authorities for allegedly distributing leaflets at her hostel at about 1.30am last Sunday.
These leaflets were said to "pose a threat to the harmony of the hostel" while the contents would "poison the minds of students".
Sources close to third-year Applied Physics student, Ong Siew Shan said the leaflet listed nine demands of students, including a call for free and fair campus elections.
(The sources cannot be named as, under the restrictive Universities and University Colleges Act, students are not allowed to make media statements without prior written permission from the vice-chancellor.)
Procedures not followed
Ong's alleged activity caught the attention of several senior students in the hostel. These committee members of the hostel residents' council questioned her for about 20 minutes and took her photo before taking her to the security department.
It is learnt that Ong initially declined to go with them on grounds that no written order had been issued for her to do so. After being warned, however, she complied.
Several male officials from the hostel and the security department were called in at this juncture to take Ong to the department for questioning. She was also told to get her student identity card from her room, which was inspected during the process.
At the security department, Ong - with four other seniors from her hostel - were each told to write a report on what had taken place. Her photo was taken as well.
The entire process lasted about an hour from 2am, and she
was then released, according to the sources.
"She was afraid at the time because she did not know what was going to happen to her," one of them told malaysiakini.
Ong - was then told to report back to the security department, but she has yet to hear from the authorities since then. She is a leader of the university's Tionghua Language Society, which has run into problems with the university authorities several times in the past.
USM deputy vice-chancellor overseeing student affairs Assoc Prof Jamaludin Mohaiadin and other officials could not be reached for comment this afternoon as they were in a meeting.
In a statement today, the 'USM students progressive front' criticised university officials for disregarding Ong's fundamental rights and for the breach of procedure in holding Ong for questioning so late at night.
They also criticised the fact that male officials had entered the women's hostel at that hour, saying this showed insensitivity.
The group, which is not recognised by the university, is known to be vocal on issues of student affairs and welfare.
Disciplinary inquiry postponed
Meanwhile, two USM student representatives who were initially scheduled to face a disciplinary inquiry tomorrow will only be called in by the disciplinary committee at a later date.
The duo, Lee Huat Seng and Sek Choon Shiou, had been charged in July for breaching university regulations by "illegally" organising a private day-trip around Penang's tourist spots for about 50 newly-enrolled students.
Malaysiakini learnt today that on the day of the outing, university officials had threatened that those involved would face action.
After the particulars and photos of the students were recorded, some 18 students pulled out from the trip. The bus driver was told not to take the remaining students on the trip if he wanted to avoid a complaint about him to the
Road Transport Department.
Lee and Sek have been suspended from the students' council and charged under university's regulations for organising an illegal activity. Both third-year students, they are seen to be aligned to the 'anti-establishment' faction.
This was second suspension for the duo. In January, their status as student representatives was suspended pending investigations, after they were said to have been involved in a demonstration over students' loans
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