INTERVIEW For voicing discontent in a public way, activist Mohd Azan Safar has come to be regarded as "ungrateful” by the National Civics Bureau (Biro Tatanegara or BTN).

The Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia graduate said Selangor BTN officers have been displaying his photograph at briefing sessions for Mara scholarship holders since last December, and telling them not to protest against the government.

“They told the (students) that I’ve often joined rallies and I’m not thankful to the government at all,” said Azan, 25.

“This is a ridiculous story… we all know that BTN courses are about brainwashing and the content is always strange...

"The government is over-sensitive and stifles the minds of undergraduates, so that they eventually become uncritical of national issues.”

Azan has taken part in all three Bersih rallies before spearheading the New Year’s Eve ‘Turun’ rally against price hikes as a result of the government’s economic policies.

“I guess my chances of getting a Mara scholarship to further my studies in London are very slim now, but I’m not worried,” said Azan, who majored in Islamic Studies and intends to pursue a Master’s degree.

While a government is obliged to protect the rights of the people in a democracy, he said, the BN-led federal government sees itself as ‘owner’ of the country.

“The Turun rally conveyed a clear message - undergraduates are not only concerned about student welfare, but will also bring up national issues.

“Those who oppress have a different perspective from those who are oppressed. It is the norm that people will keep fighting for their rights until a good policy-making process is formed.”

Azan said the ‘Turun’ rally was an important agenda for the student movement, in spite of the difficulties it encountered with accusations and police reports made against the organisers.

The efforts do not end there, with the Dataran Merdeka event.

His team will hold state-level roadshows leading up to the planned anti-price hike demonstration by various organisations on May 1.

Equating the Turun rally with the Baling Demonstration of 1974, Azan said it showed that the student movement has not remained static.

In 1974, thousands of university students took to the streets in Baling, Kedah, to urge the government to raise the price of rubber and to lower the prices of food and other necessities because the livelihood of smallholders was at stake.

Several student leaders have since emerged as prominent figures, including PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, Perkasa chairperson Ibrahim Ali and activist Hishammudin Rais.

‘Fears persist among students’

Azan said his involvement in student activism began in 2007 when he joined Gabungan Mahasiswa Islam SeMalaysia.

However, the Universities and University Colleges Act (UCCA) 1971 had held back the development of the student movement, he said.

Amendments in 2011 granted students more freedom to join political parties and associations outside campus, but did little to lift the fears that had accumulated over the years.

“Some are afraid of stepping out of the campus and expressing themselves,” said Azan, saying his actions were intended to show students the way.

While campus elections allow for participation in the democratic process, he noted that some candidates have not gone beyond “offering voters something in order to consolidate their own status”.

Azan explained: “They make empty promises and turn the electoral process into a mere transaction.

“Every time I hear candidates talk about fighting for (improvements to) hostels or water-filters, I think that the (standard of campaigning) is still low.

“When manifestos are manipulated by universities, the students’ mindset can’t rise to a mature level.”