Free Malaysia Today
Mon, 24 May 2010 16:29 . .By Ken Vin Lek
KUALA LUMPUR: Student NGO, Solidariti Mahasiswa Malaysia, today called for the University & University Colleges Act 1971 (UUCA) to be repealed with immediate effect.
The call comes in the wake of four University Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) students who were charged under Section 15(5)(a) of the act for allegedly for taking party in political activites.
The four are Muhammad Hilman Idham, Muhamad Ismail Aminuddin, Azlin Shafina Mohamad Adzha and Woon King Chai, all political science students.
They were detained by police when they were in Hulu Selangor on April 22 to observe the by election campaign. The four were released after police found no evidence of mischief.
They now face disciplinary action and have been asked to attend a disciplinary hearing on June 3 at the UKM campus.
“Students, as one of the stakeholders of a university, should be given an opportunity to exercise academic freedom in the pursuit of knowledge and excellence,” said the NGO in a statement
“They should not be demonised and punished for exercising their inalienable right to pursue knowledge in their chosen fields.”
“Section 15(5)(a) of the UUCA Act is in direct contradiction with Article 199 of the constitution which guarantees Malaysian citizens above the age of 21 the right to vote in elections.
“It is a form of expression and participation in politics and not recognising that is a blatant disregard and disrespect by the University,” added the NGO.
Suspend UUCA for five year, says Kit Siang
DAP’s Ipoh Timur parliamentarian, Lim Kit Siang, last week, urged the Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to suspend the UUCA Act for five years to demonstrate he has the political will to implement the NEM, which places emphasis on ‘retaining and attracting talent.’
He said UUCA is like a sword of Damocles hanging over the heads of university students and stifling their growth, creativity and the pursuit of excellence.
“The BN government is doing the very opposite of what is being espoused in the NEM,” said Lim.
Lim, also questioned the double standard of Umno in forming Umno Clubs for overseas university students and yet prohibit students in local public universities from showing any interest in politics.
Meanwhile, MCA’s vice president Gan Ping Sieu also called for the government to repeal provisions in the UUCA that prohibit students from taking part in political activities.
Mahathir was the man that amended the Constitution..not allowing University students to talk or take up politics while studying to strengthen his dictatorship…as he know…very well..educated Malaysians cannot easily be fooled.
Present UMNO B are bankrupt better ideas and need to survive depending on Mahathir’s idea…..even though it is out-dated and against freedom of speeches and rights..in public places.
This is Najib’s “1Malaysia” for all to understand.
Too little freedom given to university grads, but too much freedom to schoolkids
KUALA LUMPUR, May 25 — A student who was expelled from school for indiscipline was ordered by the Juvenile Court here today to be sent to the Henry Gurney School in Melaka for three years for threatening to kill his teacher.
Magistrate Suhaily Samsudin handed down the order after the 17-year-old boy pleaded guilty to the offence.
She also ordered the mother to put up a bond for RM1,000 without collateral as security to ensure his good behaviour for three years and allowed her to visit him once a month at the school.
The teenager was charged with threatening to kill the teacher, Rosli Abdul Aziz, 54, at the motorcycle parking area of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Batu Muda here at 8.30am on April 21 this year. –BERNAMA
Universities are training grounds of our future leaders be they political leaders or business leaders. Mamak knew this well. Look at anwar and see where he got his initial training as a political figure from. It is no wonder that umno want to clamp u students down and deny them this chance.
Jib Jib boleh.
Pensyarah universiti-universiti diMalaysia kepada penuntut-penuntut universiti:
“Adik-adik, sila duduk diam-diam ya. Jika nak pergi ketandas nanti, sila tunjukkan tangan dulu, lepas itu berbaris satu demi satu. Tidak boleh lebih dari 3 orang pergi ketandas sekali ia. Itu dihalangkan dibawah Akta Perhimpunan Murid-murid, ya. Semua ok.”
“The BN government is doing the very opposite of what is being espoused in the NEM,” said Lim……
so u are supporter of NEM? u break Monsterball heart…
hi Chengho idiot…LKS is pointing out BN government consists of double headed snakes that can support a cause and then break it themselves.
Your IQ gone to the rocks with your brandy on the rocks.
You need DAP rocket to fly you to Pandora….far far away..get lost in the woods..playing holes with Tiger Woods..and you know who will be he hole and who has the stick..don’t you.
I don’t know what University & University Colleges Act but I believe the four political science students would not have gotten themselves into trouble if they had been supporting BN. That tells how much the dacing symbol is worth. It’s a sham country, alright. And why should students lose their constitutional right to participate in democracy and elections? Just because they are usually idealistic and anti-establishment?
Hahaha, Chengho… you can use a Chinese-sounding nick but you can never have a brain that sounds like a Chinese, judging from all your posts. That is not to say that all Malays are like that… some are indeed very, very intelligent, judging by the articles they wrote. But for you, it’s a sad story… blind loyalty with a brain that is either underused or just the size of a pea.
You deserve what you get from monsterball. Haven’t seen you written a meaningful post yet. Yes, you don’t need to support LKS but you need to support your comments… not just passing remarks and unsubstantiated sweeping statements.
And you have shown that you are unable to read between the lines. Monsterball was right when he said, “KS is pointing out BN government consists of double headed snakes that can support a cause and then break it themselves.” But you misinterpreted what LKS actually meant.
If under-grads cannot participate in an important ‘growing -up’ aspect of their lives in deciding what is right and what’s wrong; then we need not send them to the university at all! this Act is aimed at “cowing’ the thinking students, those who have the brains to lead the nation in the future! Yes, they always prefer those they could lead by the nose! What a shame to a developing country! All the indicators given by international bodies would mean NOTHING if we fail to allow the young students to have independent thought. BN just refuses to take REAL Challenges! what a shame!
Persons over 21 could join political parties and vote but if they are university students the UUCA and section 15 in particular prohibits their involvement. It has nothing to do with the usual justification that whilst in universities – heavily subsidised by government funds – students should properly attend to their scholastic duties instead of dabble in politics of which they have no experience yet to judge and easily misled by a demagogue.
It has everything to do with the fact that any authoritarian government of the day in a “not so free” developing country like those in South East Asia has a direct interest in ensuring its university students are at minimum compliant, not against the government of the day, and at best, pro government.
The four political science students taken to task under UUCA are probably PR supporters : can’t imagine if they were supporting BN candidate they would be taken to task!
University students are important because they are the group from which future elites are usually drawn to lead the government, corporates, civil service, economy etc. At their youthful age they are often “idealistic” and the mathematical odds are generally stacked against them supporting the establishment/government of the day especially when that government isd inefficient, corrupt or less than democratic. If they take to the streets to protest against the government and get injured or killed by law enforcers large sections of populace especially parents will not forgive the government for killing their children and destroying talent and future brains just because of their youthful idealism.
Hence students played a major role in protesting against Myanmar Military Junta, and a significant role in overthrowing by street protest Marcos & Suharto. Amid the turmoil in Bangkok the Student Federation of Thailand, together with other student networks support the Redshirts. The only significant exception is Singapore, in part because the government is performing, in part government’s indoctrination and other restrictions like our UCCA – and even then in 1972 there were massive protests led by Tan Wah Piow and his few Malaysian student leaders (in S’pore University) suppressed ruthlessly by Special Branch!
This thing about UUCA stopping U students from getting involved politics is selective. They don’t have to get involved – the politics of the ruling party will come to the campuses to make sure that they are involved.
Remember sometime back a university student at UiTM in Shah Alam was complaining of the BTN indoctrination course under the guise of “Pendidikan” ?
This talk of UUCA section 15 wanting to stop U students from getting involved in politics is (to borrow PM’s term) “bull shine”….Its not only our campuses.
I would expect that, in general, many of South East Asian – and developing countries’ – universities are sites for police intelligence operations with undercover agents infiltrating student bodies, attending and monitoring seminars and activities of students.
The whole idea of perpetuating power is catch these chaps young – at the bud stage where they’re a captive market – indoctrinate them properly, make sure they’re on your side – not Opposition – so that when they graduate and come out to work in civil service, corporations, GLCs etc – the important centres of the country’s running and power – they ain’t going to sabotage the government of the day. Thats the long and short of it!
Opposition anywhere is naturally against such tactics as it creates “unlevel playing field” just like selective use of development funds in Election campaign.
Actually, the University and University Colleges Act was a direct response to university students who during the 1970s felt that socialism was the answer to social ills. Even Lee Kuan Yew believed in socialism at one time. Street demonstrations were held and characteristic of the BN government, the only answer they could offer was a ban on university students engaging themselves in political activities. In many ways, BN has destroyed this nation. Their departure is long overdue.
Its not only useless weak and corrupt political leaders who manacle students. It was under China’s paramount leader Deng Xiaoping (responsble for initiating China’s market economy) that the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 (many of whom were university students) were ruthlessly suppressed by government army and tanks.
“If I have to shoot 200,000 students to save China from another 100 years of disorder, so be it” – a quote attributed to Singapore’s paramount leader endorsing the Tiananmen massacre, Straits Times, 17 August 2004.
Again this not confined to authoritarian societies. In the so called citaldel of democracy – the USA – Nixon brought the unpopular Vietnam war to an end because of public opinion a large part influenced by anti war protest demonstrations and activism of univesity students in hundreds of campuses culminating at Ohio’s Kent State University in May 1970, when National Guard troops gunned down four student protesters!
Government leaders supressing students involvement in politics were themselves students when they first started off in politics eons ago to change the existing order – so when they are ensconced in power in senior age they of course know the potential of these students to change the existing order and course of nation.
Yet Moo-moo mooed dat 1M’sia wants 2 produce creative n enterprising uni graduates
How ah?
In d 1960s n early 1970s, UM students could freely participate in open debates, free speeches at d Speaker Corner, demonstrations, political rallies, water fights, panty raids, beer drinking, lamsing, etc
Moo-moo didn’t participate meh? How sad!
“Lim, also questioned the double standard of Umno in forming Umno Clubs for overseas university students and yet prohibit students in local public universities from showing any interest in politics.”
What is good for UMNO is permitted and what is not good for UMNO is banned, period. UMNO knows that they won’t get any support from the university students. On the contrary, they know that these students know how to think and they will support Pakatan instead! So don’t expect them to repeal the University and University Colleges Act anytime. It is like taking a keris and asking them to commit harakiri.
this is what happened when Acts were created to isolate people from knowledge. Teacher, lecturer or politicians that cannot be questioned. Some want to keep fear in a basket instead of education.
This Act is like shoving their ideals down someones throat whether you like it or not. How foolish that can be. Maybe there are a lot of mamaks around without one realizing it.
I am all for repealing the UUCA act and its not because I think all students and citizen should be active participant in public affairs. I actually think students tend to get too involved in politics rather than public affairs and hence should instead focus on their studies.
But how else are we not going to see that something is wrong unless we see students get involved in politics too much. Its one of the best signal to know that government policy is wrong when bright minds cannot find better value to spend their time than in politics. Its because they students do not find their studies economic enough or interesting enough to spend their lives or the rewards of politics is disproportionate to its function that many will go into politics. Otherwise, its only natural only a few will do so.
So yes, I am all for repealing UUCA not so much I think students should get into politics but because its great proof that the schools and our politics are screw up.
DEPUTY Education Minister Dr Puad Zarkashi said last Friday the ministry had proposed that teachers sit an examination to get a licence to teach.
I propose that all cabinet ministers sit for an exam to get a licence to govern. Kicked out if they fail the exam
It is a fact….from Primary One to University…UMNO have been programing and poisoning the minds of students.
Just look at the students…they do not mix freely with each other and that pleases UMNO B on their race politics…. working well.
Right now..after 55 years …we are still arguing whether to teach Maths and Science in English or Bahasa…shows how much we have progressed in Education.
It is the Internet that is educating the young Malaysians…and there is nothing UMNO B can do to stop that.
RPK made a surprise appearance in London few days ago..and he spoke of Education too.
His usual powerful speech can be viewed at ‘The Middle Road” blog..by Romerz.
Right now..Najib knows the public are very unhappy with UMNO B ….not seriously interested to correct all the wrongs in the Education system…be it re-amending the Constitution or getting rid of Act 1971{UUCA}.
All are linked to their political agendas and waste of time to keep complaining…especially to Najib…who has no power at all.
Just vote UMNO B out and correct all wrongs by a new government is much faster.
Talk to Najib…is like talking to the wall..as UMNO B is only interested to keep thinking how to govern forever… to save so many corrupted skins.
CORRUPTIONS is foremost in their minds…and that is why…Najib dares to openly corrupt right now…to test Malaysians with the best product…money..to win hearts and votes.
Fortunately…Malaysians know the money is theirs..no need to thank Najib for giving them out.
However he picked and choose who to give….will do him up in 13th GE.