About 200 Universiti Malaya students from various societies and groups today handed a memorandum to vice-chancellor Prof Dr Anuar Zaini Zain in protest over the mishandling of the student elections initially due tomorrow but postponed following the demise of the King.

The students were demanding for a postponement of the Student Representatives Council (SRC) elections and for the replacement of deputy vice-chancellor Prof Dr Hashim Yaakob as head of the SRC elections committee. Hashim was alleged to have acted in a biased and irresponsible manner by favouring certain candidates in the elections.

The students want Anuar to replace Hashim and to put a new committee in place. They are also demanding for the establishment of a university-level independent investigation committee to look into their complaints of election mismanagement.

Anuar, who was at a university senate meeting when the students wanted to hand in their protest at 2.30pm today, met the students after the meeting. Using a loudhailer, he told the students that the elections would not be postponed any longer as this is to enable students to go back to their studies as soon as possible.

The elections would, however, be delayed for four days until Nov 26. Two days of mourning would be observed for the passing of Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah today.

He also assured the students that those who were found guilty of committing election offences would be stripped of their positions even if elected.

Anuar said that a committee would also be formed to look into the students' complaints this Friday.

Anuar however added that the status of Hashim was up to him and not for the students to decide. The students were also told to file the complaints with the new committee to be formed by him.

Favouritism charges

Hashim was said to have shown favouritism to a few candidates whom he introduced at the "Malam Perpaduan" (Night of unity) event held in one of the residential colleges yesterday. Barisan Nasional MP and cabinet minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil was present at the function.

The students said the university administrators have also unfairly disqualified 10 candidates for allegedly "violating several election regulations".

The 10 disqualified candidates are Tan Chan Peng, Leong Kwan Eu, Khor Chee Heng, Lim Teng Hooi, Yap Kiat Sen, Ng Choong Khee, Juan Pui Fung, Yeow Mei Ann, C Kalai Selvan and Kee Koh Joo.

Their 'violations' include their speaking to the press, campaigning before the permitted time and canvassing for support from outside the campus boundary.

The group members said they were unfairly disqualified as the "favoured" candidates had also committed the same offence but were not punished.

"A lot of things which should not happen, happened," said former student council president Mohd Fuad Mohd Ikhwan.

He said the actions taken by the election committee were unfair as some candidates were punished while others were not.

This year, the election regulations for every public university have been tightened. Measures include the banning of 'election pacts' and a two-day limit on campaigning.