Timbalan Menteri Pengajian Tinggi, Dr. Hou Kok Chung berkata, kerajaan bimbang masalah tersebut akan menyebabkan bakal peminjam mengalami kesukaran untuk membuat pinjaman pada masa akan datang.

Sehubungan itu kata beliau, kementerian amat berharap para peminjam lebih bertanggungjawab untuk membayar balik pinjaman masing-masing bagi membantu pelajar baru.

‘‘Kerajaan memang prihatin tetapi kita tidak sewenang-wenangnya memberikan pinjaman itu dijadikan seperti biasiswa.

‘‘ Kita harus ingat bahawa PTPTN merupakan tabung pinjaman untuk pelajar sahaja,” katanya ketika menjawab soalan tambahan Datuk Ibrahim Ali (Bebas- Pasir Mas) pada sidang Dewan Rakyat di sini hari ini.

Ibrahim dalam soalannya menyatakan jumlah hutang PTPTN yang tertunggak kini tidak menjadi masalah besar kepada kerajaan berikutan kerajaan mempunyai pendapatan lain, justeru beliau mencadangkan supaya jumlah tunggakan itu dihapuskan.

Terdahulu, Kok Chung menjawab soalan lisan Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah (BN-Gua Musang) yang ingin tahu jumlah sebenar tunggakan PTPTN dan apakah perancangan kerajaan dalam membantu siswazah yang tidak berpeluang menerima pinjaman bagi meneruskan pengajian.

Beliau berkata, sehingga 30 September 2009, jumlah yang sepatutnya dibayar balik oleh peminjam kepada tabung ialah RM3.235 bilion melibatkan kira-kira 780,000 pinjaman yang telah diluluskan.

Menurutnya, daripada jumlah tersebut, sebanyak RM346 juta yang dibuat oleh peminjam telah diberi penangguhan bayaran balik manakala sejumlah RM1.535 bilion masih belum dibayar balik.

‘‘Golongan yang enggan dan belum membayar balik ini terdiri daripada mereka yang langsung tidak memberi maklum balas kepada pihak PTPTN,” ujar beliau.

http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/info.asp?y=2009&dt=1104&pub=Utusan_Malaysia&sec=Parlimen&pg=pa_01.htm

DATUK Seri Najib Razak’s 2010 Budget is called “1Malaysia, Together we prosper”. Before the prime minister’s multi-million ringgit sloganeering, his predecessor Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had introduced the “Prosper” theme. Abdullah in his Oct 30, 2005 budget speech announced “Prosper” or Projek pembangunan usahawan dalam bidang peruncitan to help graduates venture into business. Under Prosper, Perbadanan Usahawan Nasional Berhad (PUNB) would finance 200 graduates up to RM50,000 each; that easily amounts to RM10 million.

Prosper is an ongoing programme and this year, its attachment training will allow participants to intern in PUNB investee companies. The cost of ensuring this prosperity is, however, not open to public knowledge.

Nonetheless, the RM10 million allocated in Abdullah’s Budget 2006 is clearly a drop in the ocean compared to the RM700 million set aside in Najib’s March 10 mini-budget. The latter’s stimulus package planned to create 163,000 training and job placement opportunities for retrenched workers and unemployed graduates.

Of this number, 50,000 will be absorbed into the civil service, adding to its already obese size and bloated payroll. It is important to note that under the RM191.5 billion 1Malaysia Budget, 72.2% is for operating expenditure, out of which RM42.2 billion is for emoluments. Furthermore last month, a “special financial contribution” (announced earlier) in the form of a year-end bonus totalling RM400 million will be paid to public sector employees from Grades 41 to 54.

‘Treasuring’ human capital

It is true that other parts of the world also face the problem of workers getting laid off and school leavers unable to find jobs due to the depressed global economy.

However, Malaysia’s numbers are staggering. Based on estimates, about 60,000 graduates might find it difficult to seek employment at all times, said Najib when launching the Graduate Employability Management Scheme (GEMS) on March 13.

GEMS is run by Khazanah Nasional Berhad under the aegis of the Finance Ministry. The precursor to GEMS is the Graduate Employability Enhancement (GREEN) programme, also tasked to Khazanah in co-operation with GLCs.

We can safely assume that a proportion of these targeted graduates have not been able to find work in the fields in which they hold the requisite paper qualification. Meanwhile, the government continues to fail to address the longstanding lack of relevance of the courses taught in the public universities and the low standards of graduates produced.

Instead of getting it right from the get-go through structural reform of the higher education system (and better still the entire schooling system), our authorities are attempting to fix the shortcomings of graduates who flounder in the competitive marketplace by pouring money to correct their mis-education.

It is all the more worrying when Khazanah’s director of strategic human capital management Azman Mohd Hussein reveals that the unemployed graduates have to be given remedial and practical training for a whole year to improve their communication skills and increase their level of confidence.

And similar to the “Prosper” scenario, the public are not cognizant of Khazanah’s expenditure breakdown either.

Hitting rock bottom soon?

Something’s very wrong when the situation keeps getting from bad to worse with no light at the end of the tunnel.

As early as Sept 25, 2001, then prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had unveiled an economic stimulus package which earmarked RM150 million for 10,000 degree and diploma holders. This allowed them to learn IT, brush up on mathematics and English, in addition to providing RM500 monthly allowances on a temporary basis until end-2002.

“Temporary” appears to have been a misplaced optimism because the chronic problem has persisted for nearly a decade now.

Between January 2004 and June 2005, the government’s human resources development fund paid out RM265.2 million in training grants to individuals. From November 2001 until mid-2006, the Graduate Training Scheme had retrained almost 22,000 unemployed graduates, then human resources minister Dr Fong Chan Onn disclosed in his paper “Developing human capital” delivered on Aug 21, 2006.

Nonetheless, on Dec 27, 2007 a paper presented by the Institute of Islamic Understanding (Ikim) quoted a comment from the minister on the inadequate success rate of the retraining. Ikim research officer Nor Hartini Saari said “roughly RM500 million” had been expended in retraining.

Two years down the road on Oct 20, 2009, Higher Education Minister Mohd Khaled Nordin still talked about RM48 million spent in university partnerships with corporations “in strategic sectors that could improve innovation-based industries and guarantee graduates of job opportunities”.

Unless our public coffers are replenished by King Midas, the government may soon go broke from the “guarantees”.

It is just not sustainable to have the next generation depend on the nanny state even after they have been provided with ample tertiary education opportunities, with generous financial assistance and babysitting after graduation, and eventually bailouts every step of the way.

Raiding the public treasury

Various ministries and entrepreneurial agencies have set up their own graduate retraining programme and this makes the tracking of fiscal allocations difficult.

For example, the RM7 billion stimulus package revealed by Najib on Nov 4 last year allocated RM300 million for a skills training programme fund (with focus on tourism and “business process outsourcing sectors” among others); RM200 million for programmes by private training institutions and RM100 million for youth programmes at various levels – we see here three intersecting areas.

Then there is “another RM70 million to facilitate employment of retrenched employees and graduates seeking jobs”, a special allocation approved by the cabinet as announced by Human Resources Minister Dr S. Subramaniam on Jan 21, 2009 in Putrajaya.

The RM70 million could well be a tranche from the RM600 million-infusion for skills training under Najib’s RM7 billion package a year ago. Or then again, maybe not … who knows. In any case, the RM600 million was augmented by another whopping RM700 million barely four months later under Najib’s second stimulus package.

When so many quarters are involved in the overlapping effort between government agencies, GLCs, and the private sector, only the “special committees” established to manage the funds know the full details.

Even the auditor-general’s office probably does not have the complete picture of how much money is being poured into remedying incompetence in the public universities. And what the results have been. If it does, it would be very important for the public accounts committee to put this information out in the public domain.

It may be argued that the fact that these public funds seem to be going towards so many “facilitators” and “consultancy” companies shows a primarily liberal and laissez-faire approach used by the government to tackle the problem.

Also of some relief is that no monopoly seems to have appeared in cornering the market.

The crush of agencies, ministries and private agents seeking participation in this fast-growing industry of “enhancing graduate employability” should reassure us that there are droves of Malaysians who are driven by patriotism to help our hapless graduates. The unkind among us may suspect that making a quick buck – or rather making buckets of bucks – is more the real motivation.

No solution in sight

Considering that many of our young adults are no surer of securing jobs after graduation today than they were in 2001 and three prime ministers ago, the public and the current undergraduate population have a right to demand a full accounting of the huge sums of taxpayers’ money spent.

We also need to know the outcome of independent impact studies that can provide empirical data on how effective or ineffective this massive injection of public funds has been.

In the parliamentary debate taking place on the 2010 Budget, there needs to be an explanation on where the total RM1.3 billion appropriated over the recent year for training and retraining purposes went to. And who has prospered from the money.

Dr Lim Teck Ghee is director, Centre for Policy Initiatives. Feedback: letters@thesundaily.com.

http://www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=39667

International Internship Program 2010

About The May 18 Memorial Foundation

The May 18 Memorial Foundation was founded by Gwangju citizens, sympathetic Koreans overseas and individuals who believe it’s important to keep the ideas and memories of the 1980 May 18 Gwangju Democratic Uprising alive.

Please visit http://518.org/eng for more details about the foundation work.

Purpose of the internship programme

2 interns (one male, one female) who will serve for 10 months from March-December 2010.The annual internship program is a crucial part of the Foundation’s mandate to promote international solidarity and further the cause of human rights in Asia.

Through the internship programme the Foundation aims:

1) To improve international solidarity and networking and

2) To promote Gwangju as Asia’s Hub for Human Rights Movement.

Qualifications required

Applicants should be unmarried (single) university graduates not more than 30 years of age, with a minimum of 3 years NGO or social development work experience, though not necessarily in the field of human rights. Preference will be given to those with degrees in human rights-related subjects such as social sciences and communication, and to those who have specialized in human rights issues within these disciplines. Applicants must be computer literate (email/internet, web page, lay-out/design, etc) and proficient in English; working knowledge of Korean is an advantage.

Applicants should be a working member of and organization: applicant cannot apply as individuals without the knowledge/support/recommendation of their current organization.

Please use the following condition to check your eligibility for the Internship Programme before you send us an application.

When to Apply.

Application period: October 29, 2009 until November 30, 2009.

Conditions of service

The relationship between the Foundation and the intern is one of mutual benefit. Interns are assigned to a unit of the Foundation according to the needs of the office and their own areas of interest. They are involved, inter alia, in managing workshops, preparing for the human rights folk school, conducting their own research, working on human rights issues, drafting analytical papers and reports, providing substantive and technical service and so on, depending on the exigencies of the Office. At the same time, the programme aims to increase the intern’s understanding of current human rights issues at the international level.

Interns are assigned to work with a supervisor who is responsible for providing them with a description of duties and a work plan. Upon completion of the internship, both the supervisor and the intern are required to complete a final report describing what was achieved during the internship. In addition, every intern is requested to complete an evaluation questionnaire on his/her assignment and to submit it to the May 18 Memorial Foundation.

He/She must fulfill his/her duties and abide by the rules and regulations of the programme.

Travel costs, airfare and living expenses are provided by the Foundation. Housing will be provided but utilities (telephone/internet, electricity, and gas) will be paid for by interns. Health Insurance will be given to cover accidents/illness incurred during an internship.

An intern who leaves before the end of the internship period will be required to pay any costs incurred and his/her organization will not be allowed to be a network organization in the near future. In case of illness or other circumstances that might prevent the completion of the internship, interns will inform their supervisor.

There is no expectancy of employment at the end of the internship and interns cannot apply for any jobs or pursue a higher degree until the termination of the internship.

Interns are expected to work full-time and to carry out the duties assigned to them. They do not accrue annual leave during the period of the internship. Otherwise, they are bound by the same duties and obligations as regular staff members; in particular, all confidential and unpublished information obtained during the internship may not be used by interns.

rocedure for applying

Applicants should submit the following documentation:

• your completed, dated and signed internship application form;
• A copy of your Curriculum Vitae
• A scanned copy of your valid and not expired passport.
• A write-up detailing your expectations, objectives, and interest in the human rights internship program (not more than two pages).
• An official endorsement letter from your superior or head of your organization.
• An endorsement/Referral Letter from any Alumni/Contact/Network of the Foundation in your country or abroad. (Please check our website links athttp://eng.518.org/eng/html/main.html?TM18MF=06010000)
• a proof of enrolment in undergraduate studies and a list of courses taken, transcripts of grades or diplomas;
• a written sample of research work or an abstract of academic papers (3-10 pages maximum), if undertaken.

Closing date for application: 30^th Nov.

Selected candidates are normally informed around the first week of January 2010. Unsuccessful candidates will be notified by email and are encouraged to apply the following year.

Ironically, the iron-cable bridge, suspended about 3 meters over the river, was built recently to replace an old one that had fallen apart with age.

KAMPAR: One girl is dead, two pupils are still missing and nineteen have been found safe after the 22 students fell into Sungai Kampar.

The pupils, on a camping trip, tumbled into the river when the suspension bridge they were crossing broke near Kuala Dipang, Kampar, at about 10pm on Monday.

Police divers searching for 2 missing pupils who had fallen off the suspension bridge at Sungai Kampar in Kuala Dipang on Monday night.

The dead girl was identified as Dina Deve Nathan, 11, from SK Tamil Mambang Diawan. Rescuers found her at Kampung Pasir, about 2km downstream from the broken bridge, at about 8.40am Tuesday. Her body was sent to the Kampar Hospital.

Police said twenty other pupils, who were not on the bridge, escaped unscathed.

Some pupils jumped and shook the bridge

According to one of the survivors, Mohd Azid Teng, 12, from SKJC Bemban near Kampar, the pupils had had supper at SK Kuala Dipang and were crossing the bridge to get to the camping site when a few of the pupils started jumping and shaking the bridge.

A man walking near the ill-fated suspension bridge at Sungai Kampar which collapsed when a group of primary school pupils, who were camping near the river, tried to cross it last night. SAIFUL BAHRI/The Star

The bridge then gave way and he found himself falling into the river along with the other screaming pupils.

Fortunately, he fell into shallow waters and waded out.

Rescuers retrieving the body of Dina Deve Nathan, 11, from SK Tamil Mambang Diawan at 8.40am on October 27.

Bridge newly built

Ironically, the iron-cable bridge, about 10 feet (3 meters) over the river was built recently to replace an old one that had fallen apart with age.

The pupils were among 298 from 60 primary schools from Kampar, Tronoh and Batu Gajah who were attending a co-curriculum activity organised by the Kinta Selatan district education office.

Search and rescue operations are ongoing.

Perak MB oders probe into bridge collapse

Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir visited the scene soon after news of the bridge collapse reached him and ordered an immediate investigation into the cause of the accident, Bernama reported.

“The suspension bridge was newly built. We want to know if it was built to specifications as it collapsed after a metal pillar got ripped off the ground,” he said.

A metal pillar and its concrete block foundation got ripped off the ground in the incident and part of the bridge walkway was afloat on the river.

The Kampar River is known for extreme water sports. The part of the river where the bridge collapsed is about 30 metres wide and 1.5 metres deep.

Villagers have joined in the search and rescue operation mounted by 222 personnel from the police, Royal Malaysian Navy, Fire & Rescue Department, People’s Volunteer Corps (Rela), Civil Defence Department and other agencies.

Meanwhile, at 11.15am Tuesday, Ipoh Barat MP M. Kulasegaran filed an emergency motion with the Dewan Rakyat Speaker to discuss the collapse of the bridge, Lee Yuk Peng of The Star reported.

Education Ministry sets up probe team; RM10,000 aid to dead Dina’s family

Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who was at the scene Tuesday, said that a team, headed by Education Ministry Director-General Tan Sri Ali Muddin Md Dom, has been set up to investigate the bridge collapse, The Star’s Sylvia Looi reported.

The ministry would give RM10,000 in aid to Dina’s family, said Muhyiddin who is also the Deputy Prime Minister.

source:http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/10/27/nation/20091027085329&sec=nation

The Government could be losing billions of ringgit every year through excessive payments for contracts and procurements for a wide range of things ranging from water tunnels to IT contracts and purchase of computers.

Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah acknowledged that the amount is a lot but could not give an exact figure.

Estimates based on government spending indicate that if one assumes overpayment on contracts is just 20%, then the losses could come up to as much as RM28 billion a year.

Other mains points from our StarProbe are:

● Hundreds of millions of ringgit in overcharging are taking place for ICT, which is a multi-billion-ringgit industry. Contract prices can sometimes be more than 50% than if the deals were done on a tender basis.

● Project finance on favourable terms from foreign countries – the so-called soft loans – can result in contractors being restricted largely to those from the country providing financing, resulting in considerably higher costs.

● Open tenders, done properly and with appropriate evaluation, are one of the most effective ways of reducing the costs to government. At least two state governments see great benefits in open tenders.

● Malaysia falls short in comparison with other countries in terms of calling for and disclosure of open tenders and their details. There is no centralised system.

● The Government is keen to cut wasteful spending and will, as far as possible, have open tenders from now on.

Related Stories:
● Overpaying by the billions
● A-G’s 2008 report shows project delays, lack of oversight continue to cost govt millions of ringgit
● Overcharged for ICT It mainly involves outsourced services
● Government: No more wasteful spending
● Johor practises open tender
● The Penang experience
● RM9bil to build police facilities
● Are tenders open and fair?

1.0 Pengenalan

Solidariti Mahasiswa Malaysia (SMM) merupakan sebuah pertubuhan mahasiswa yang dianggotai oleh Gabungan Mahasiswa Islam Se-Malaysia (GAMIS), Gerakan Demokratik Belia dan Pelajar Malaysia (DEMA), Jawatankuasa Kebajikan Mahasiswa/i (JKMI), Kelab Rakan Siswa Islah Malaysia (KARISMA), Kumpulan Aktivis Mahasiswa Indenpenden (KAMI) dan Persatuan Kebangsaan Pelajar Islam Malaysia (PKPIM). SMM memandang serius terhadap tindakan tatatertib yang dikenakan terhadap 8 mahasiswa UM.

Tindakan yang dilakukan oleh pihak Universiti Malaya (UM) adalah tidak profesional. Pihak Universiti Malaya telah mengenakan tindakan Kaedah-Kaedah Universiti Malaya (Tatatertib Pelaja-Pelajar) di bawah Akta Universiti dan Universiti Kolej (AUKU) terhadap 8 aktivis mahasiswa kerana mengundang ‘pihak luar’ menghadiri acara di UM. Jika didapati bersalah oleh pihak universiti, 8 orang mahasiswa boleh dikenakan tindakan, antaranya diberi amaran keras, denda tidak melebihi RM200, digantung atau dipecat daripada universiti berkenaan. Jika mereka gagal hadir ke prosiding tersebut, mereka boleh dikenakan tindakan penggantungan dengan serta-merta.

Tujuan utama memorandum ini adalah bagi mendedahkan pencabulan hak asasi oleh pihak universiti dalam menjalankan tugas di kampus. Justeru memorandum ini disediakan sebagai bukti kesungguhan mahasiswa dalam memeperjuangkan hak asasi mahasiswa. Sehubungan itu, memorandum ini diserahkan kepada pihak Suruhanjaya Hak Asasi Manusia untuk diambil perhatian dan tindakan yang sewajarnya bagi menjamin masa depan dan hak asasi mahasiswa.

2.0 Tajuk Memorandum:

Ketidakpuasan terhadap tindakan Universiti Malaya (UM) mengenakan tindakan tatatertib ke atas 8 aktivis mahasiswa.

3.0 Latar Belakang

3.1) Saw Yee Fung dan 5 mahasiswa PBCUM

Saw Yee Fung dan 5 mahasiswa yang dikenakan oleh tindakan tatatertib merupakan pemimpin and ahli Persatuan Bahasa Cina UM (PBCUM). Mereka dikenakan tindakan dalam Kaedah-Kaedah Universiti Malaya (Tatatertib Pelaja-Pelajar) di bawah Akta Universiti dan Universiti Kolej (AUKU) atas sebab mengundang ‘pihak luar’ menghadiri acara di UM.

Kronologi

3.2) Muhammad Haafizuddin Abererah dan Abu Ubaidah Amir Abdul Malik

Muhammad Haafizuddin Abererah dan Abu Ubaidah Amir Abdul Malik meruapkan ahli-ahli Persatuan Mahasiswa Islam Universiti Malaya (PMIUM). Mereka dituduh menjemput setiausaha kepada menteri besar Selangor, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad untuk melibatkan diri dalam mesyuarat agung persatuan tersebut.

Kronologi

4.0 Antara pekara yang menindas hak asasi manusia:-

Kebebasan Bersuara Mahasiswa

Universiti Malaya (UM) merupakan sebuah institusi pengajaran awam yang dihormati di Malaysia. Malah, university tersebut telah diiktiraf sebagai universiti yang ke-180 terbaik di dunia pada tahun 2009 oleh Times Higher Education. Sebagai university yang cemerlang, ia mempunyai tanggungjawab untuk mematuhi dan menghormati Artikel ke-10 Perlembagaan Malaysia serta Artikel ke-19 dalam Deklarasi Universal Hak Asasi Manusia (UDHR) yang memperuntukkan kebebasan bersuara.

Tindakan tatatertib yang dikenakan terhadap 8 orang mahasiswa yang hanya mengadakan aktiviti perbincangan bersifat ilmiah dan intelek jelas mencabuli hak mahasiswa. Selain itu, tindakan tersebut juga tidak mencerminkan kebebasan akademik oleh universiti. Universiti sepatutnya mempunyai tanggungjawab dalam menyediakan keadaan konduksif yang menggalakan penglibatan mahasiswa dalam perbincangan isu-isu semasa negara.

Universiti juga perlu menggalakkan mahasiswa-mahasiswa menglibatkan diri secara aktif dalam dialog yang merangsang pemikiran mahasiswa dengan menjemput pendebat atau tokoh yang berilmu dan terkenal. Ini dapat menggalakkan pertukaran pendapat yang sihat dan berfaedah untuk semua mahasiswa.

Pihak Universiti Malaya tidak seharusnya menghadkan sebarang aktivism mahasiswa atas alasan berunsurkan politik. Sebaliknya, pihak universiti perlu menggalakan mahasiswa berkomunikasi dan berinteraksi dengan setiap lapisan masyarakat tanpa mengira faham politik dan ideologi. Dengan menghadkan sebarang perbincangan secara intelek akan memberikan kesan yang buruk terhadap kredibiliti universiti.

Tuntutan-tuntutan:

1) Membatalkan semua tuduhan dan tindakan tatatertib terhadap 8 orang mahasiswa serta-merta dan tanpa sebarang syarat.

2) Menghormati autonomi mahasiswa dalam mengadakan aktiviti serta menghentikan segala intimidasi terhadap mahasiswa-mahasiswa.

3) Mematuhi dan menghormati kebebasan bersuara mahasiswa seperti yang terdapat dalam Artikel-19 Deklarasi Universal Hak Asasi Manusia dan Artikel-10 Perlembagaan Malaysia.

Daripada

Solidariti Mahasiswa Malaysia (SMM)

Tarikh: 16 October 2009 (Jumaat)

马来西亚青年与学生民主运动（学运）谴责马大学生事务处再次传召六名马大华文学会辩论组组委以及两名马大回教学生成员出席下个星期二的听证会，并修改这八名学生的控状为“非马大学会人士参与活动”的举动。

在这次事件中，我们看到了大专生再次成为大专法令的受害者。学运强调，修改前和修改后的大专法令换汤不换药，废除大专法令，归还学生自主权，才能真正体现校园民主。我们谴责马大校方不专业的处事方法，因为大专法令的公信力备受质疑，不应该以此作为学生行为的评鉴。虽然马大校方修改了这八名学生的控状，可是我们主张撤销控状，因为“邀请外人出席活动”并非合理的控诉，这只会凸显校方的荒谬之处。

学运认为校方以提控这八名大学生为策略，企图转移外界对反对电子投票课题的视线。反对电子投票由全国大专生团结阵线（SMM）发起，目的在于要求一个干净和公平的校园选举。这次八名学生被传召适逢各大校园都对电子票投票持反对声浪的期间，马大更是其中即将推行电子投票的大学之一，让我们有理由相信校方企图淡化反对电子投票的诉求，图让事情不了了之。我们呼吁各界不要掉入校方的陷阱，我们谴责大专法令不合理地存在校园。大专法令已经剥夺了学生的自由，我们不要再让电子投票也扼杀校园民主。

本次检控八名学生的事件在短短的期限内得到了各界关注，校方却选择忽视来自公民社会要求撤销这八名学生控状的诉求，并让听证会展延到下个星期二。学运再次强调，马大校方的这种打压手法，不但有违大学应有的校园民主和学生自治精神，更与其刚挤进泰晤士全球200最佳大学排行榜产生极大的冲突。

此外，学运呼吁媒体在报导此项课题的时候，勿把焦点放在校方对付华裔组织上面，因为出席听证会的除了六名辩论组组委外，还包括了前马大回教学生协会主席莫哈末哈菲祖丁（Muhammad Haafizuddin Abirerah）以及与他一起被控的会员大会筹委会总监阿布乌拜达阿米尔（Abu Ubaidah Amir Ab Malek）。媒体人士更应该关注的是学生基本权利的问题，我们认为作为一个学生团体，马大华文学会辩论组以及回教学生学会拥有绝对的办活动自主权。

学运再次呼吁，马大学生事务处应马上取消对八名学生的控诉，以归还学生原本的自主权。

8名马来亚大学学生因为邀请政治人物参与校内活动，招致学生事务局传召出席听证会对付，结果今日获得大约70名学生和公众人士今早戴着口罩，在校园内举行集会声援。

结果，校方突然也在没有给予任何理由的情况下，临时口头告知展延今早的听证会，导致这8名学生被迫白跑一趟。

保安只是在旁监视未阻止

大约50名来自马大学生代表理事会、马大回教学生会、马大华文学会的学生，还有约20名公众人士，今早10点开始陆续聚集在学生活动中心广场，部分出席者更是戴着口罩和创意纸牌，以声援受到传召的学生，以及抗议校方打压自由。

除了高喊口号，他们也举起两幅布条，分别写着“政治人物当评判，何错之有？”、“排名重回两百大，学生自由被践踏”、“救救学生”，以及“停止打压学生”口号。

行动党沙登国会议员张念群、马华前青年讲师团团长胡渐彪、雪兰莪社区自强协会（Empower）代表王泽钦和全国大专生团结阵线沙兹尼慕尼尔（Shazni Munir Mohd Ithnin）也到场声援（右图）。

尽管学生集会引起校方的注意，并有两三名保安官员到场向学生领袖了解情况和监视，不过他们并未进行干预。

由官员口头转告会议展延

8名受传召的学生包括2名马大回教学生会成员，以及6名马大华文学会成员，也陆续进入学生事务局办公室，准备面对听证会（左图）。

不过，他们都没有见到负责主持听证会的学生纪律委员会成员，只被学生事务局官员口头转告，听证会已经被展延。

尽管他们再三追问，不过有关官员都拒绝披露展延的理由，只是要求学生回去等候公函，通知新的听证会日期。

邀朝野领袖出席活动惹祸

这8名学生都是遭校方援引邀请外人参与活动的罪名来对付。其中，6名马大华文学会成员是因为在今年9月8日辩论表演赛中，邀请行动党高级行政议员兼士布爹国会议员郭素沁、马华中王乃志，以及988电台主持人兼时事评论员许国伟担任点评嘉宾而受到秋后算账。

他们包括马大华文学会主席苏仪芳、辩论组组长陈劲晖、组员杨晓菁、许明泽、黄欣盈和曾威德。两名律师萧俊仁和叶纹豪也陪同他们出席，唯却被校方阻止陪同入内。

至于另外2名马大回教学生会成员则是被指在今年3月14日马大回教学生会会员大会中，邀请雪州州务大臣政治秘书兼斯里斯蒂亚州议员聂纳兹米开幕。虽然遭到校方及保安人员强力组织，唯聂纳兹最终成功乘踏一名学生的摩多车，以“偷渡”的方式最终进入马大校园。聂纳兹已经致函高教部长抗议校方的强硬举动。

他们分别是前任主席莫哈末哈菲祖丁（Muhammad Haafizuddin Abirerah）和会员大会筹委会总监阿布乌拜达阿米尔（Abu Ubaidah Amir Ab Malek）（右图）。

其中一人从槟城特地回来

哈菲祖丁在离开学生事务局办公室后，对学生事务局突然展延听证会的决定表示惊讶，也不满校方没有事先作出通知。

“我感觉本身好像被玩弄，因为我是从家乡槟城特地赶回来出席听证会，不料他们却忽然展延。我已经修读完所有学科，只是还没有毕业。”

针对校方的纪律行动，他不排除背后是有政治因素。他也辩解说，他们邀请来自公正党的聂纳兹米出席活动并非旨在破坏马大名誉或有任何不良意图，反而是希望通过这名年轻议员来激励学生，后者在演讲中也没有触及政治问题。

“他是最年轻的州议员，才26岁。不管是来自哪一个政党，只要有任何议员比他年轻，我们都愿意邀请出席。不过，由于刚好他是来自雪州政府，所以我才会被控告。”

曾经尝试通知校方却不果

陈劲晖则表示，当他们6人进入学生事务局办公室后，就被一名官员传召进行“非正式的访谈”，并通知展延的消息。

尽管他们已经准备好所有文件来解释事件的来龙去脉，以及反驳有关罪名不成立，但是有关官员也不愿接受，只是要求他们等校方再来信通知。

陈劲晖也辩称，虽然活动早已经在两个月获得校方的批准，但是他们只能到活动的一个星期前，才正式敲定好点评嘉宾。他们曾尝试通知学生事务局官员，但是后者却不再办公室内。

“在活动当天，官员曾经联络过我本人，他说下一次活动不能有政治色彩，当时我们就以为是口头同意，因为他也没有要求取消。”

他也披露，学生事务局官员曾在活动后的周五召见其中3名筹委，他们当时就解释有关辩论表演赛的辩题纯粹是根据时下最热门的课题，而他们的立场是中立的，并且邀请来自朝野双方和媒体的人士参与，没有任何隐议程。

这些学生当时以为事件已经了结，不料随后又受到校方的传召。

原文摘自：http://malaysiakini.com/news/114827

To:

Y. Bhg. Professor Datuk Dr. Ghauth Jasmon

Vice-Chancellor
University of Malaya
50603 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Tel. No.: 03-7967 3213 / 3510 / 03-7956 8400
Fax No.: 03-7955 2975
Email: vc@um.edu.my / ghauth@gmail.com

Withdraw Disciplinary Charge on UM Students Immediately

We/I, ______________________ from ______________________, oppose the action of UM authority for charging six students under Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA) with the reason that inviting “outsiders” to judge a Chinese language debate competition.

2. We/I strongly feel that the disciplinary charge should be withdrawn because:

a) The six students have done nothing wrong. They were only organizing a debate competition that provides a platform for intellectual discussion on current national issues.

b) Student’s organizations should enjoy autonomy in the campus to organize activities. The university authority should respect the autonomy of students and stop intimidates the university students for any activities.

c) The charges are unreasonable and politically motivated. The university authority intends to suppress student activities and spreading white terror in the campus. This action is against student’s freedom of expression.

3. By inviting ‘outsiders’ to activities in UM does not poses any threat to the university. In the past, many ministers, politicians and well-known personalities are invited to attend various events organized by university students. What is the ground to charge the six UM students for organizing debate competition as compared to the events mention above.

4. Activities that allow students to participate in intellectual discussion on the country’s current development should be encouraged. Moreover, these types of activities provide a good platform to encourage students to think critically on the current national issues, especially after the 308 political tsunami. The university authority should not prevent students from organizing such activities. The charging of the six students is a retrogression of democracy in UM.

4.  We/I urge that UM authority:

a) to withdraw disciplinary charge from the six students immediately and unconditionally.

b) to respect the student autonomy and stop the intimidates on university students.

c) to preserve the freedom of expression of the students as stated in Article 19 of Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and Article 10 of Federal Constitution in Malaysia, and uphold campus democracy.

Yours faithfully,

______________

(                           )

CC:

Y.B. DATO’ SERI MOHAMED KHALED BIN NORDIN

Menteri Pengajian Tinggi,
Kementerian Pengajian Tinggi,
Aras 7, Blok E3, Parcel E,
Pusat Pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan,
62505 PUTRAJAYA.

Tel       : +603-8883 5010

Faks   : +603-8889 1952

Email  : menteri@mohe.gov.my

URGENT APPEAL
8 October 2009

To all,

Withdraw Disciplinary Charge on Six UM Students Immediately

Saw Yee Fung and five university students from University Malaya (UM) have been charged by university authority under Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA) with the reason that inviting “outsiders” to judge a Chinese language debate competition on politics in the country. Those judges were Teresa Kok (Seputeh MP), Wong Nai Chee (MCA central committee member) and political commentator, Koh Kok Wee. They may be expelled, suspended or fined if found guilty.

They were asked to attend an inquiry on 12/10/2009 (Monday), 11.30am to determine if action is to be taken against them for violation of rules and regulations of the university.

We strongly feel that the UUCA charge should be withdrawn because:
a) The six students have done nothing wrong. They were only organizing a debate competition that provides a platform for intellectual discussion on current national issues.
b) Student’s organizations should enjoy autonomy in the campus to organize activities. The university authority should respect the autonomy of students and stop intimidates the university students for any activities.
c) The charges are unreasonable and politically motivated. The university authority intends to suppress student activities and spreading white terror in the campus. This action is against student’s freedom of expression.

Background of the incident:

On 8th September 2009, debate team under University Malaya Chinese Language Society has organized a debate competition on politics in the country. They have invited a few politicians to debate on the recent political development in Malaysia. Those politicians include Victor Gu and Teo Nie Ching. The organizer also invited Teresa Kok (Seputeh MP), Wong Nai Chee (MCA central committee member) and political commentator, Koh Kok Wee to be the judges for the debate competition.

Before the debate competition start, the organizer has been given warning by the Students Affairs Department through telephone. The reason given is that debate is politically oriented. However, the debate competition managed to carry on.

On 7th October 2009, five of the university students that involved in organizing the debate competition and the president of University Malaya Chinese Language Society, Saw Yee Fung were given summon letter. They were asked to attend an inquiry on 12/10/2009 (Monday), 11.30am to determine if action is to be taken against them for violation of rules and regulations of the university.

Violation of student freedom and autonomy

By charging the six students under UUCA is a form of suppression on university student autonomy. University students should be granted the freedom to organize activities that promotes intellectual discussion and critical thinking. The role of university is to provide environment that is conducive for activities to take place. In fact, the university should encourage more activities like this. This will enable more students to understand and participate in the recent national development.

It is also the freedom of university students to choose which guests to invite for an activity. Therefore, when the six students are charged for inviting “outsiders” to judge a Chinese language debate competition, it clearly violated the student autonomy. The ground given by the university authority does not stand because over the years, UM have invited many ministers, politicians and well-known personalities to attend events at UM. This clearly showed that there is double standard in this case.

Moreover, the university authority intends to suppress students with hidden agenda. All the suppressions are politically motivated. This is because after the debate competition has ended for 1 month, the university authority only takes action against the 6 university students. Therefore, we have the reason to believe that the suppression is getting worse especially near to campus election. The purpose of this action is to spread white terror to the students and restrict the freedom enjoyed by the university students.

Demands
Hence, DEMA calls upon authority of UM to withdraw any disciplinary charge from them immediately. DEMA also urges the authority of UM to respect the students autonomy.

What Can You Do?
1. Fax the sample letter below to UM authority immediately.

UM Vice Chancellor’s Office:
No. Fax: 03-7955 2975
Email: pej_nc@um.edu.my

2. Call UM authority to ask about the case and protest towards the UUCA charge on UM students.

UM Deputy Vice Chancellor
(Student Affairs & Alumni)
Associate Professor Datuk Dr. Azarae Hj. Idris
Tel: 03-7967 3201

Released by,
Lim Wei Sin
Malaysia Youth and Student Democratic Movement (DEMA)
Secretary of National Affairs
016-2802251
bushy.lim@gmail.com

Sample Letter

Please state your protest by sending a letter to the Vice Chancellor of University Malaya (UM).

To:
Y. Bhg. Professor Datuk Dr. Ghauth Jasmon
Vice-Chancellor
University of Malaya
50603 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Tel. No.: 03-7967 3213 / 3510 / 03-7956 8400
Fax No.: 03-7955 2975
Email: vc@um.edu.my / ghauth@gmail.com

Withdraw Disciplinary Charge on UM Students Immediately

We/I, ______________________ from ______________________, oppose the action of UM authority for charging six students under Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA) with the reason that inviting “outsiders” to judge a Chinese language debate competition.

2. We/I strongly feel that the disciplinary charge should be withdrawn because:
a) The six students have done nothing wrong. They were only organizing a debate competition that provides a platform for intellectual discussion on current national issues.
b) Student’s organizations should enjoy autonomy in the campus to organize activities. The university authority should respect the autonomy of students and stop intimidates the university students for any activities.
c) The charges are unreasonable and politically motivated. The university authority intends to suppress student activities and spreading white terror in the campus. This action is against student’s freedom of expression.

3. By inviting ‘outsiders’ to activities in UM does not poses any threat to the university. In the past, many ministers, politicians and well-known personalities are invited to attend various events organized by university students. What is the ground to charge the six UM students for organizing debate competition as compared to the events mention above.

4. Activities that allow students to participate in intellectual discussion on the country’s current development should be encouraged. Moreover, these types of activities provide a good platform to encourage students to think critically on the current national issues, especially after the 308 political tsunami. The university authority should not prevent students from organizing such activities. The charging of the six students is a retrogression of democracy in UM.

4. We/I urge that UM authority:
a) to withdraw disciplinary charge from the six students immediately and unconditionally.
b) to respect the student autonomy and stop the intimidates on university students.
c) to preserve the freedom of expression of the students as stated in Article 19 of Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and Article 10 of Federal Constitution in Malaysia, and uphold campus democracy.

Yours faithfully,

______________
( )

CC:
Y.B. DATO’ SERI MOHAMED KHALED BIN NORDIN
Menteri Pengajian Tinggi,
Kementerian Pengajian Tinggi,
Aras 7, Blok E3, Parcel E,
Pusat Pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan,
62505 PUTRAJAYA.
Tel : +603-8883 5010
Faks : +603-8889 1952
Email : menteri@mohe.gov.my