The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: It has been termed as a prelude to the general election when the 20 public universities hold their elections for the student representatives’ councils simultaneously on Tuesday.
Contenders are barred from forming factions but it is widely known that the fight for leadership in the campuses is between the pro-establishment and pro-opposition groups, known respectively as pro-university and pro-mahasiswa (student) groups.
Despite the fasting month, the contenders and their supporters have carried out their campaign with many blogging and via YouTube to enable them to speak up on issues without breaking the regulations.
The hottest elections are expected to be held in Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and Universiti Malaya.
At UPM, things have heated up with the disqualification of five candidates, all from Barisan Mahasiswa Bersatu (BMB).
Third-year accounting student Loke Chiu Chee, 22, said: “I was disqualified because my address was not in the university’s database.”
Of the five disqualified, three filed appeals and only one was successful.
BMB spokesman Ashabulyamin Ayoub said the deposit of RM100, compared to RM50 in other public universities, had discouraged students from contesting.
However, UPM Student Affairs Curriculum and Support Unit head Muhazam Mansor refuted this, saying: “There is no problem as it is only a deposit which will be refunded.”
Last week, UPM students complained to the Bar Council’s Human Rights Committee about intimidation on campus in relation to the Oct 2 elections.
University Malaya Association of New Youth president Foo Hou Thek said undergraduates were using blogs and YouTube postings to get around restrictions on campaigning and to ensure their messages reach a wider audience.
Election candidate Udesh Chaskar Bhaskaran said that utilising it was against the rules of the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 (UUCA).
At UKM, pro-mahasiswa supporters and former pro-university members formed a new coalition called Gabungan Mahasiswa Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.
