University students should be allowed to form associations o­n campus based o­n political ideology, said Gerakan's Dr Chin Fook Weng, addressing a plenary session of the annual Graduates Congress in Universiti Sains Malaysia today.

Chin said the idea of forming political clubs is commonly practised in foreign universities.

Broad representation

Chin, a former USM lecturer and now chief executive officer of Disted College, suggested that political clubs be formed o­n the basis of a two-party system Barisan Nasional and Barisan Alternatif, rather than to support individual parties.

"There should be a club that promotes government policies and another that proposes alternative views," said Chin, when speaking o­n students' involvement in partisan politics.

"They should represent all levels of society, and their struggles should not be narrow-minded or based o­n the struggles of certain groups or language o­nly."

Meanwhile, PAS Youth vice president Idris Ahmad said student participation in politics has been going o­n since pre-Merdeka days.

Idris, a former lecturer at Universiti Institut Teknologi Malaysia (Shah Alam and Melaka), said that students were intelligent and were not likely to cause chaos when involved in politics.

He said the government should not be too worried about students' involvement in partisan politics because this does not necessarily determine future political inclinations.

He cited cases of prominent Malaysian leaders like Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad ( photo ) and jailed ex-deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim, who had been anti-establishment during student days.

"Umno and BN seem to panic whenever they hear critical views from students. But students have their own idealism....(so) allow them to express it," stressed Idris.

"This is the right of smart, intelligent and critical students, who have not experienced the real world yet."

Neutral stand proposed

Shah Alam member of Parliament Mohd Zin Mohamad said the government would not restrict students from expressing dissenting views.

Mohd Zin, who is also president of the Backbencher's Club, claimed that the government would not control students because they are an asset to the nation.

"But students must go back to the basics and ask themselves why they are in universities. They are here to acquire knowledge and this should not be compromised," he said.

"When they criticise they should also ask if the government has oppressed the rakyat, or whether it has brought development, peace and harmony."

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia student leader Mohd Shahar Abdullah said all political parties should not to bring in their ideology "to poison the minds of students".

He said students should remain neutral as they are the "best of the best, better than all the rest" and that their thoughts should not be "privatised".

"We should reject the government as well as the opposition, they can't do anything to us. We should not fight with emotion but with our intellect," he added, dismissing the usefulness of student demonstrations and political participation.

Students differ

Fellow students however criticised Mohd Shahar's views during the discussion session that followed the speakers' presentations.

Siti Salmah Noordin of the International Islamic University said students must keep abreast of current political developments in order to vote based o­n their convictions.

Mohd Ezamir Zulkefli of Universiti Malaysia Sabah said students must not reject either side the government's or oppositions' views - in making their own assessment of any situation.

Jenny Lim of Universiti Sains Malaysia questioned why students are being denied their political rights when some were already eligible to vote in the last general election.

The three-day congress is organised by the USM Student Affairs Department in collaboration with Biro Tatanegara, bringing together 600 students from various local universities to discuss topics related to politics, entertainment and sports, gender, and the law.

Prominent speakers include Rural Development Minister Azmi Khalid, Lunas state assembly representative Saifuddin Nasution Ismail of Keadilan, Puteri Umno head Azalina Othman Said and DAP Socialist Youth secretary Loke Siew Fook.

The congress is scheduled to end tomorrow with a dialogue session between the students and Acting Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.