“Students' Power!”

That’s what is keeping the students or ‘mahasiswa’ of higher learning institutions to be more vocal and actively involved in activism.

Dialogue sessions, debates and news regarding mahasiswa engaging in politics are widely reported in the dailies.

The question here is why yes and why no for the mahasiswa to join political parties?

First of all, to clear all the doubts and misconceptions, proponents and the opponents of the idea should come up with a good explanation on what is the meaning of ‘berpolitik’ or engaging in politics. The term ‘berpolitik’ is ambiguous.

Now, the Cabinet in its Wednesday meeting has decided that mahasiswa will not be allowed to get involved in political parties. This decision will somehow close all the discussions on this topic once and for all.

The announcement was made by the Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.

"Section 15 of the Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA) 1971 is already adequate as students are allowed to be involved in political parties if they obtain permission from their vice-chancellors," he said in a statement.

Ironically the news only appeared in The Star’s online version but not in their printed version on Thursday, August 12.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin who is also the Education Minister, had reminded students at matriculation colleges and higher education institutions that they were still bound by provisions under UUCA although it provides them with more freedom of speech.

UUCA is only applicable for public university students while students in private universities are obliged to Article 555.

The Government feels that students will be distracted with politics and will lose focus in their studies if they join political parties.

But for those who support that students should be allowed to join political parties, they feel otherwise. Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah said on Tuesday there should be more open discussions on the issue of allowing university students to take an active part in politics.

In the National Student Leaders Council Meeting last week in Bangi which was attended by 20 IPTAs and 13 IPTSs student leaders, Saifuddin also openly supported the mahasiswa to join political parties. He feels that mahasiswa are matured enough to think for themselves. He is one of the very few in the government that support the call by the mahasiswa.

“The rights of the active few cannot be suppress by the majority,” he said in support for the students who want to join political parties.

Besides that he also questioned the need to register just to vote, it’s so tedious. He said that it’s fine if every citizen be made a registered voter automatically by the age of 21. This does not mean that they are compulsory to vote. It’s up to the people to vote or not to vote. At least there will be less procedures just to be in the voting list.

Meanwhile, Barisan Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin on August 2 said the wing unanimously urge the Government to allow undergraduates to join political parties.

In his recent Tweet on Wednesday, he posted “Cabinet decision not allowing university students to be involved in political parties is gutless & indicates outdated thinking. There.”

Some of the student leaders in the meeting felt that mahasiswa are already in politics by joining the students’ body. They had the election campaign in their campus and they are voted to be the student leaders. Students are already indirectly involved in politics and some of them are already helping out political parties off campus although they are not officially given the approval to do so.

Some may feel the decision by the government is contradictory. This is because Malaysian students studying abroad could become members of UMNO, MCA or PAS clubs but why not for those studying locally. They also questioned why they the so-called better educated ones are deprived of their rights compared to their friends who are unable to enter higher learning institutions but can join political parties.

Mahasiswa want their voice to be heard. The government should no longer underestimate the power of mahasiswa. A big lesson should be learned from the last General Election in 2008. The mahasiswa have arisen, awaken and they are now more aware and articulate in the shaping of the nation. They are one of the biggest voting bloc in the election. If the government remains in a state of denial in recognising the maturity, concern and voice from the mahasiswa, it will be a tough job for the government to maintain its majority in Parliament and State Assembly.

Mahasiswa are now more conscious of their nation’s development. To let mahasiswa to engage or join political parties is up to the hand of the Prime Minister. Maybe government should listen more to mahasisawa now by consulting them and the experts before making any hasty decision. But one thing for sure, the issue won't end here. Mahasiswa know the best for themselves and they will not stop fighting for what they believe in.

Let’s think of this quote from the movie V for Vendetta. It says, “the people should not be afraid of the government. The government should be afraid of the people.”

Yours sincerely,

Oh Chin Eng
Chairman
Student Representative Committee (SRC)
Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) Perak Campus