The pro-government Students Representative Council of Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) has come out in defence of the controversial University and University Colleges Act 1971 (UUCA) saying the legislation 'protected the welfare of students'.

The council's vice-president Sulhairil Hafiz Sulaiman said it was also not for varsity students to demand for a review of the act.

"If government leaders think the act should be reviewed, then review it, if not, there is no need to review it. We don't have any suggestions, let the leaders decide ," he said in an interview with malaysiakini today.

Asked how the council could protect the welfare of students if they do not give suggestions, Sulhairil claimed that the students were 'not qualified' to do so.

"As students, we are not in the position to give suggestions. Only the leaders can do that because it involves the law. We believe the leaders always think of the students' welfare."

"We accept anything that is good for the students' welfare," he added when commenting on the statement by Higher Education Minister Dr Shafie Salleh recently that his ministry may review the act after a study.

Sulhairil also rebuffed the demand of independent Malaysian Students Solidarity (SMM) movement to abolish the UUCA, saying that "the university's students council is formed under the provision of the UUCA and is responsible for protecting the welfare of students".

"This clearly shows that UUCA is protecting the students' welfare, so why do they want to abolish the act?"

Problems exaggerated

Sulhairil charged that SMM was an unregistered organisation which did not represent the majority of varsity students and had jeopardised UPM's image with their 'irrational actions'.

"Out of 23,000 UPM students, less than 50 attended the illegal rally held by SMM last Thursday. Their campaign to boycott the recent campus elections was not welcomed by the students. Voter turnout was 93.4 percent. This shows they are not representing the students," he said.

Sulhairil condemned the actions taken by SMM to protest the campus polls, describing their action as "demonstrations using the 'reformasi' style".

"They are acting like those in the seventies but we are now in the new millennium".

"Their actions have jeopardised the university's image. We in the student council should explain to the public that most of the students are in favour of solving problems through peaceful means such as roundtable negotiations," he said.

He stressed that the student council was formed after proper elections and recognised by the campus authority.

SMM had initiated a boycott of the recent campus polls which it claimed were not transparent and unfair. It has called for the elections to be declared unlawful and asked for free and fair elections to be held.

It also called for action to be taken against those responsible for irregularities during the elections, requested for an end to violation of student rights and abolition of the UUCA.

In the controversial elections in September, all 17 public universities nationwide for the first time in history were won by 'pro-establishment' students camps (dubbed 'Aspirasi Kerajaan' camps) which were backed by campus authorities. There were student boycotts at five major universities.

Over the years, government and campus authorities have overtly backed pro-establishment student factions in a bid to stamp out anti-government forces in campuses nationwide.

The pro-government groups, with the help from the authorities, have progressively knocked out anti-establishment students from the student representative councils.

To date, 10 students from UPM, Universiti Sains Malaysia and Universiti Malaya have been charged by their campus authority for being involved in the campaign against the controversial campus polls.

Afraid to speak up

In an immediate reaction, SMM spokesman Kong Wee Cheng dismissed Sulhairil's contentions saying that university students were afraid to express their true opinions.

Kong said form Sulhairil's statements, it seemed the UPM students council had given up its rights to participate in reviewing the UUCA. "Obviously the UUCA has violated the students' rights but they are scared to speak up".

Kong also claimed that the high turnout in UPM's campus polls as claimed by Sulhairil was due to the fact that the students were 'indirectly forced' to vote by the campus authority.

"SMM has members throughout the country and just like the student councils, we do not represent all students. We represent those students who are against the unfair polls which were full of irregularities," he said.

He said the actions taken by SMM were in line with rights guaranteed under the Federal constitution "... and people in Indonesia, Taiwan, Phillipines or Korea are also expressing their views through the same means (peaceful rallies). This is the basic way to let our voices be heard".

"Even the 'Malaysians for Peace' movement has its rallies," he added.