Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) should be demoted from being a research university to a 'Mat Rempit' university following the conduct of its campus security against its students last Saturday, said Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang.

"The latest Mat Rempit antics of the UPM authorities raises very hard questions as to how academic and research excellence can flourish in UPM when such Mat Rempit culture in the university administration is allowed to run wild without check," he said in a statement.

Lim was commenting on the Friday night seizure of student activist Yee Yang Yang's laptop, mobile phone, MP3 player and other belongings by UPM security officers.

They also took away documents belonging to Yee (photo).

"I call on Higher Education Minister Mustapa Mohamed to condemn in no uncertain terms such Mat Rempitism in UPM and contempt for student rights," said Lim, in reference to the unruly 'Mat Rempit' motorbike gangs that have proven to be a public menace.

Mustapa must also send a clear message to the UPM authorities that they are doing "a great disservice to the nation" in bringing ridicule and dishonour to its universities and undermining the national aim of turning into an international education hub, Lim added.

UPM was last month elevated to its research university status together with three other universities - Universiti Malaya, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and Universiti Sains Malaysia.

In the incident on Friday, four security personnel entered Yee's hostel 13 between 11pm until 1am.

According to Yee, they were conducting a spot check - ostensibly to look for a stolen mobile phone - on two rooms in his hostel with Yee's room being one of them.

Yee was then subjected, however, to an interrogation session where he was asked about his involvement in politics.

They subsequently carted away the laptop, phone and several of Yee's other items totaling about RM6,000.

The following day, Yee's demands for an acknowledgment letter of the items seized were met by grudging reluctance from the head of the university's student-monitoring unit Zamali Samsi.

This only after tense moments involving the lodging of a police report, the calling of a police officer, and a stand-off where Zamali was stopped by several UPM students from leaving his office in a car.

'Standoff'

Yee refused, however, to sign the document issued later by Zamali as it only stated that his laptop, mobile phone and MP4 player were taken, and not his other personal belongings

Yee has lodged a total of two police reports over the incident, and threatened to slap the university authorities with a legal notice if his possessions are not returned.

Lim also said that over the last 48 hours, the Malaysiakini videoclip of the standoff between UPM students and the campus security had been viewed over 14,000 times. [see video]

The video clip has also been uploaded and seen on YouTube 3,000 times, he added.

"The UPM students must be commended for courageously standing up for their fundamental human rights and refusing to cow to a Mat Rempit-style of bullying by the campus security," said Lim.

Yee belongs to the 'anti-establishment' camp and the incident is suspected to be connected to impending campus elections.

Rival students groups - mostly between anti-establishment and pro-government factions - are already in the midst of campaign preparations as polls are widely tipped to be announced soon.

Last year, the anti-establishment group in UPM - who are generally regarded to be pro-opposition - boycotted the students election, claiming that the rules are heavily stacked against them.

In recent years, student groups not aligned to the government-backed Aspirasi faction are often subjected to harassment from campus authorities.