Vexed student rep: Come GE, do we flee?
Outraged by the disciplinary proceedings initiated against four Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) students for allegedly campaigning during the Hulu Selangor by-election, a student representative wonders what would happen when the general election comes.
Written by Patrick Lee, Free Malaysia Today
KUALA LUMPUR: Outraged by the disciplinary proceedings initiated against four Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) students for allegedly campaigning during the Hulu Selangor by-election, a student representative wonders what would happen when the general election comes.
“We have a right to freedom of speech and expression,” thundered Abdullah Omar during a press conference at the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall here today.
“If we are not allowed to be in Hulu Selangor because of a by-election there, are we expected to leave the country during the next general election?” he asked.
Abdullah is a member of Kelab Rakan Siswa Islah Malaysia (Karisma), which is a UKM-based organisation.
The four second-year political science students were hauled up before the disciplinary board under the University and Universities Colleges Act 1971 after being arrested by the police on April 22.
The four are Muhammad Hilman Idham, Muhammad Ismail Aminuddin, Azlin Shafina Mohamad Adzha and Woon King Chai.
“As political science students, it is a practice for us to conduct fieldwork. I have observed many previous by-elections and never faced this problem before,” said Hilman.
“Medical students carry out their fieldwork in hospitals and engineering students carry out theirs at sites, so it is with political science students who have to witness by-elections in order to better understand our choice of career. We were not there to campaign,” he added.
After hitching a ride with a PKR party member, the van that Ismail was in was stopped at a police road block in Ampang Pecah, Kuala Kubu Baru at around 11am.
Hilman, Azlin and Woon were stopped more than an hour later at 12:30pm in a separate vehicle at Pekan Rasa, Jalan Kuala Kali.
When UKM officials arrived, the students were accused of partaking in the campaign.
PKR fliers found in car
After this, the police and university officials conducted a search and found several wrapped and sealed packets containing PKR fliers in the vehicles.
“The car I was in belonged to a PKR supporter and the fliers were in his car. There was no reason for me to be interrogated. I was only a passenger,” said Hilman.
