Seventeen Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) student representatives were disqualified after being found guilty of breaching university election regulations, said UTM students affairs department vice-chancellor Prof Alias Mohd Nor today.

He said seven out of the 24 elected representatives charged were acquitted. Altogether 27 students were charged for breaching the election rules. The other three did not win a seat in the recent campus polls.

He added that no action will be taken against the trio.

Following their disqualification, Alias explained that candidates with the second highest votes in the elections will take over the vacant seats.

The 27 students faced disciplinary action for making amendments to their election campaign posters.

"Out of 17 vacant seats, 14 candidates who received the second highest votes will take over, while three other seats will remain vacant until the next campus elections as there were no other contestants," he said when contacted.

No fresh polls

He stressed that the university will not call for fresh polls as only the minister of higher learning can do this.

"Only the minister has the jurisdiction to call for campus elections. Otherwise the university will become a political battlefield," he added

Alias also denied that the 17 students, seen as 'anti-establishment candidates' were disqualified to pave the way for 'pro-establishment' students.

"No, no. The seats will be handed over to candidates who have the second highest votes, not that we appoint someone else who has not contested. I don't know who is pro-establishment," he said.

The 27 students were hauled up for disciplinary proceedings for making amendments to their campus posters during September's campus polls.

It is learnt that the students were unhappy with the quality of their photographs on the posters and replaced them. The original photos were taken by a university-designated photographer.

Explaining, Alias said the disqualified students were found to have 'amended the posters and that influenced the choice of voters.'

Lenient action

He also described the action taken against these students, which only stops at disqualification, as being lenient.

"They can still appeal to me, we are democratic. Anyway MPP (student representatives council) doesn't do much work, only representatives at all colleges (read: student hostels) do work," he added.

Defending the university's move to act against these students, the vice-chancellor insisted that it was within the ambit of democracy.

"I don't take action upon my own wish, students had lodged complaints. If I do not take action, I would be questioned," he explained.

Alias said a formal letter on the decision will be forwarded to the respective students this evening.

Of the total 46 seats which were up for grabs in UTM, 28 were won by the so-called 'anti-establishment' faction.

In this year's nationwide campus elections, 'pro-establishment' candidates took control of most of the major universities. The polls were marred by boycotts and allegations of irregularities.