Nomination day for the annual campus polls today turned out to be 'boycott day' at five public universities, where the 'anti-establishment' faction refused to put up candidates.

They also called on students not to vote on Thursday on grounds that the authorities are not allowing the annual exercise to be carried out in free and fair manner.

The five universities are Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), International Islamic University Malaysia (UIAM), Universiti Telnologi Malaysia (UTM) and Sultan Idris Education University (UPSI).

Student coalition Malaysian Students Solidarity (SMM) spokesperson Ahmad Rifaudin Abdul Wahab (photo, second from right) told a press conference at Kolej Islam Malaya in Petaling Jaya that it supports the boycott.

It claimed that the election commission headed by the deputy vice-chancellor in several universities has failed to ensure a free and fair election.

The campus elections will be held simultaneously in all campuses on Thursday, with results expected that night.

Evidence in hand

SMM also said it has documented incidents that point to university interference in the process.

It alleged that a Universiti Malaya (UM) student had been assaulted by an assistant registrar, while UIAM candidates have had to go through an interview in order to qualify as candidates.

UTM has increased the deposit fee from RM20 to RM100 for candidates and increased the cost of the objection form (to file appeals) to RM300. UPM has maintained its controversial e-voting system for the third year and UIAM for the second year.

Others complaints received were that public assembly has been banned in USM; there is only a two-day campaign period in all campuses; election regulations were not announced in UPSI; and that USM and Universiti Institut Teknologi Mara (UiTM) did not allow certain candidates to be nominated.

"All these problems are part of a conspiracy by the campus authorities headed by the deputy vice-chancellors, to ensure that preferred candidates win," Ahmad Rifaudin claimed.

"Therefore, we consider the election of student representatives in all government and private universities this year to be illegitimate."

Rifaudin also expressed disappointment with the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam)and the higher education ministry for failing to respond to a memorandum sent to them several days ago.

SMM's memorandum to the ministry was handed over last Wednesday in Parliament House.

Suhakam commissioner Hamdan Adnan had told malaysiakini on Sept 7 that the commission had been given permission to monitor the campus elections. However, it did not reply officially to SMM which had sent a memorandum on Sept 12.

"We were told by a third party that Suhakam had sent its officers to some universities to monitor the situation. But when we contacted Suhakam, we were told that Hamdan was out of town and that no one was taking up the issue," said Rifaudin.

SMM reiterated its demands for Suhakam to view the students' demands seriously and to conduct election monitoring. It also wanted the ministry to respond to complaints by Thursday, and called for the resignation of all deputy vice-chancellors in government and private universities.

UPM students hassled

In another development this morning, a press conference called by UPM's 'anti-establishment' faction to announce the boycott had to be held off-campus following interference by security officers.

Ahmad Yani, who claimed to be a security officer, negotiated with the students while they were setting up the press conference at the canteen of the economics and management faculty.

Noticing a malaysiakini reporter taking a photograph of him, he turned abusive and threatened to lodge a police report.

He called four security officers who asked the reporter to leave, saying that the press conference was illegal because the students had not obtained a permit from the authorities.

While the students were leaving after deciding to move their press conference to a restaurant outside the campus, they were heckled by about 10 students who are known supporters of the 'pro-establishment' faction.

They disrupted the press conference by revving up their motorcycles outside the restaurant and taking photographs of students and reporters.

Meanwhile, the 'Students Coalition UM' has initiated a new version of protest by nominating 32 candidates for the nine general seats at the university.

"We hope this new strategy will confuse the campus authorities and bring victory to our coalition," said Syamsul Azura Abdullah Sani, spokesperson of UM Islam Hadhari Club, one of the three groups that make up the coalition.

The other two groups are UM Islamic Student Association and UM Association of New Youth.

They too complained about unfair polls in UM, saying their candidates have been threatened and physically abused, and that the authorities have shown bias.

The coalition says it supports the government, but that it is against irregularities in the election exercise.