The Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) today said it will try to protect the undergraduates who approached the commission for help alleging foul-play in their recently concluded campus elections.

"Anybody who comes to Suhakam should be given immunity (from retaliative actions), and that includes students," Suhakam commissioner Prof Hamdan Adnan told malaysiakini.

Yesterday, some 20 Universiti Teknologi Malaysia students, most of whom came from the main campus in Skudai, Johor, submitted a memorandum and held a dialogue with Suhakam at the commission's office in Kuala Lumpur.

However, when they requested "protection" from possible disciplinary actions by their university authorities for bringing their case to Suhakam, they were told that the commission was not empowered to do so.

Although Hamdan conceded that there was no provision in the Human Rights Commission Act 1999 that can protect complainants from reprisals, he insisted that they should be protected.

"We should protect our complainants, or else, what is the point in having Suhakam?" he said.

Since Suhakam commissioners are given legal immunity to carry out their duties under the act, likewise the complainants should have immunity to submit their case, he argued.

Asked if the students have a case, Hamdan said he was not able to comment as he has not seen the memorandum yet.

'Baseless claims'

In their memorandum, the students claimed the university authorities had mismanaged the student council elections. They claimed to have proof that ballot boxes were tampered with during the elections and alleged that the nominations of some candidates were made under dubious circumstances.

They also raised the case of two former student council members, Mohd Mushriff Abdullah and Ng Tee Neng, who received show-cause letters after their names were quoted in newspapers.

The Star today reported that the UTM public relations department declined to comment, saying the matter would be referred to the university's legal advisers.

An unnamed spokesperson said the students can go ahead with their claims and complaints, which are "baseless".

Hamdan maintained that Suhakam's stand is clear when it comes to freedom of expression.

He added that a person not only has the right to freedom of expression, but also freedom of peaceful assembly.

However, Hamdan felt that the show-cause letters issued by UTM could be because of a breach of structural order, such as non-designated speakers being quoted in the press.

Serious stand

Meanwhile, DAP today urged Suhakam to take a serious stand on the complaints made by the UTM students.

According to its national publicity secretary, Gobind Singh Deo, institutions such as Suhakam must demonstrate its effect in situations where the rakyat, especially students, face marginalisation by larger parties.

"It is even more important for Suhakam to demonstrate its impartial investigation and commitment towards the cause for human rights in instances where students are threatened with disciplinary action merely because they voiced concern over the manner which elections are conducted in universities," he said.

DAP also reiterated its call upon UTM to withdraw the disciplinary actions against Mushriff and Ng.