Stop tomorrow's hearing: Suhakam to UPM
Syed Jaymal ZahiidPublished: Nov 21, 2007 6:52 AM | Updated: Jan 29, 2008 10:21 AM
The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) will try and stop Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) from proceeding with its disciplinary hearing tomorrow involving a student who is alleged to have obstructed university officers from executing their duties.
The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) will try and stop Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) from proceeding with its disciplinary hearing tomorrow involving a student who is alleged to have obstructed university officers from executing their duties.
Commissioner Prof Khoo Kay Kim said Suhakam wants the hearing to be stopped in order to pave way for investigations following a complaint of human rights abuse lodged by the student's representative.
The Malaysian Students Solidarity (SMM), which is acting as the student's representative, handed a memorandum to Khoo at the Suhakam office in Kuala Lumpur today.
Lee Song Yong, an anti-establishment student activist, is charged with obstructing campus officers from performing their duties in confiscating his personal belongings in the run-up to the campus polls in October.
On Aug 22, Lee was stopped by security guards at the university's exit and his notebook was seized on grounds that he was being investigated for being a member of an illegal student organisation.
The student initially refused to cooperate because the campus officers were not in their uniforms.
Lee was also denied legal representation and was allowed to be represented by only one fellow student representative from UPM's Student Supreme Council
Nobody is above the law
Meanwhile, Khoo promised that Suhakam will look into the matter and try to get as much information as possible before deciding on the next move.
"You (SMM) are alleging that the university officers had broken the law while performing their duties. What we will do first is get information on UPM's structure and laws to see if there were any laws broken by their officers," he said.
He commented that everybody, including university officers, must respect the laws set forth by the government and nobody can act beyond it.
"If it is true that the student was subjected to such treatment, then we have a case of abuse of power (by) the university," he said.
In the memorandum, SMM demanded that Suhakam stops UPM from commencing with the proceeding and if it is still to proceed, send an officer to monitor the proceeding in order to ensure that it is conducted in a fair and transparent manner.
Khoo agreed to this and instructed his officers to have a representative present at the proceeding.
Lee, a second-year computer science student, will be up against a six-member prosecuting team led by deputy vice-chancellor Prof Tai Shzee Yeu.
SMM also urged Suhakam to hold an open inquiry into all cases of alleged abuse of power by UPM officers.
Asked if Suhakam will look into the complaints of alleged persecution of anti-establishment students, Khoo said that such incidents must be included as part of the probe.
Commissioner Prof Khoo Kay Kim said Suhakam wants the hearing to be stopped in order to pave way for investigations following a complaint of human rights abuse lodged by the student's representative. The Malaysian Students Solidarity (SMM), which is acting as the student's representative, handed a memorandum to Khoo at the Suhakam office in Kuala Lumpur today.
Lee Song Yong, an anti-establishment student activist, is charged with obstructing campus officers from performing their duties in confiscating his personal belongings in the run-up to the campus polls in October.
On Aug 22, Lee was stopped by security guards at the university's exit and his notebook was seized on grounds that he was being investigated for being a member of an illegal student organisation.
The student initially refused to cooperate because the campus officers were not in their uniforms.
Lee was also denied legal representation and was allowed to be represented by only one fellow student representative from UPM's Student Supreme Council
Nobody is above the law
Meanwhile, Khoo promised that Suhakam will look into the matter and try to get as much information as possible before deciding on the next move.
"You (SMM) are alleging that the university officers had broken the law while performing their duties. What we will do first is get information on UPM's structure and laws to see if there were any laws broken by their officers," he said.
He commented that everybody, including university officers, must respect the laws set forth by the government and nobody can act beyond it.
"If it is true that the student was subjected to such treatment, then we have a case of abuse of power (by) the university," he said.
In the memorandum, SMM demanded that Suhakam stops UPM from commencing with the proceeding and if it is still to proceed, send an officer to monitor the proceeding in order to ensure that it is conducted in a fair and transparent manner.
Khoo agreed to this and instructed his officers to have a representative present at the proceeding. Lee, a second-year computer science student, will be up against a six-member prosecuting team led by deputy vice-chancellor Prof Tai Shzee Yeu.
SMM also urged Suhakam to hold an open inquiry into all cases of alleged abuse of power by UPM officers.
Asked if Suhakam will look into the complaints of alleged persecution of anti-establishment students, Khoo said that such incidents must be included as part of the probe.
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