Umno's move to revive political consciousness among young Malay males through its new wing - Putera Umno (Umno's Princes) - will have to negotiate the pitfalls posed by the Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA).

The plan, endorsed recently by the Umno supreme council, is to recruit those aged between 18 and 25 - a grouping that is likely to involve many of those still pursuing tertiary studies.

The UUCA, however, bars them from associating with political parties, societies, trades union and organisations - whether legal or illegal, on-campus or off-campus - without the prior consent of the vice-chancellor.

Umno Youth chief Hishammuddin Hussesin had described the new entity as a social organisation rather than a political outfit. Still, everyone in it will be automatically deemed a party member.

He has been evasive in commenting on whether university students will be allowed to join Putera Umno, but has stressed that everyone within the age group is welcome to seek membership.

The party's Terengganu information chief Ahmad Shabery Cheek was less reticent in pointing out the contradictions involved.

"When you want to get those aged between 18 and 25, you are not interested only in dropouts. I think Umno need to have the cream of the crop of that age, and they would be in universities or colleges," he said.

"So if you have the kind of restrictions that are in the UUCA, you won't be able to get the cream... you will only get the dropouts."

'Open up universities'

Ahmad said the Act should be reviewed to determine its validity today as it was enacted in 1971, in response to a period of student rebellion and mass demonstrations.

"I don't think that will happen again," he noted.

Ahmad, who was president of the Universiti Malaya student council in the early 1980s, said he supported the idea of universities being accessible to all political parties.

"I have proposed that Umno or PAS clubs should be allowed in local universities. In England, there are Conservative and Socialist clubs...these are avenues for political party to recruit future leaders.

"Most student organisations have became weak in Malaysia. They are not helping members to develop leadership skills. Instead, they get involved in small matters like holding makan malam (dinners) or turn into social clubs."

Ahmad said party leaders have the capability and capacity to make changes for a more liberal campus environment, in line with their interest in recruiting youths.
"If Umno seriously wants to tap the talents of youths, they should come up with something positive on the UUCA."

The plan for Umno Putera comes on the heels of the successful recruitment drive for young Malay women under Umno Puteri (Umno's Princesses).

Thousands have joined since its launch in 1999 and it has helped the party regain its lustre after the sacking of former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim.

Ahmad said the plan for the new wing proves that Umno "is willing to rejuvenate itself with new ideas and concepts" to bring youths into the fold.

"Many in Umno, especially the young, feel alienated from the mainstream of politics. Putera Umno will add a new dimension, especially since it will not be involved in politics per se," he said.

Direct challenge

Student leader Chong Siew Ling agreed with the need to repeal the UUCA, saying it has become irrelevant.

"The Putera Umno plan is a direct challenge to the UUCA...it indicates that the government should not use the Act any more to restrict students from participating in social or political parties," she said.

Chong, who is administrative secretary of the Malaysia Youths and Student Democratic Movement, was herself a victim of the UUCA.

As a student of Universiti Sains Malaysia, she was summoned by campus authorities for allegedly campaigning for an opposition candidate in the general election concluded in March last year.

She refuted the notion that students who participate in politics would be jeopardising their academic performance, saying "involving in politics is not an offence".

Opposition politician Loke Siew Foo, the national secretary of DAP youth, said there is no reason to continue suppressing students in local universities when Malaysian students abroad are allowed to participate in associations such as Umno clubs.

"If Putera Umno is meant to create social awareness among youths, many non-governmental organisations and groups could already do the job. And why is it to be called Putera Umno? By making it a wing of a political movement, the ultimate goal is political gain," she said.

However, an Umno Youth exco member disagreed. Tangga Batu MP Idris Haron said Putera Umno will act as a "pressure group" in ensuring the continuity of the culture, race and religion of the Malays.

He said various programmes have been planned for Putera Umno, including motorcycling, rock climbing and a volunteer programme, to recruit 200,000 to 300,000 members within a year.

Idris, a member of the Putera Umno steering committee, dismissed the need to repeal the UUCA, calling instead for its retention in order to guarantee that students obtain "excellent results".

"I see the Act as one that protects students and which lets them know their role and responsibilities - to go as high as they can in term of academic results," he said, repeating the government's stance on the issue.

"In countries that have strong student movements, such as Indonesia, Hong Kong, Korea and once China..... all these countries are not peaceful."

Political squabbles

There is also a constant fear that political influence on students could result in challenges to the government.

A senior official in the higher education ministry, who declined to be named, said he personally supports the repeal of the UUCA because of its irrelevance. However, he was pessimistic about the possibility.

"We must realise this is a political fight between Umno and PAS. The majority of the undergraduates are Malays, so the government has to consider the impact if the opposition is allowed a place in campuses," he pointed out.

The significance of this is played out each year during campus elections, when political parties - especially Umno and PAS - fight it out to control the student council membership. There are blue (Barisan Nasional) and green (PAS) student factions, or 'government' and 'anti-establishment' candidates.

A monitors' report was said to have been tabled and discussed at an Umno supreme council meeting in the run-up to the campus elections last year.

PAS, meanwhile, had attributed its humiliating electoral outing to young voters deserting its cause.