BANNING STUDENTS FROM ACTIVE POLITIC WILL CREATE RACIAL POLARISATION

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 21 (Bernama) -- Banning students from active politic will create racial, ideological and religious polarisation among the multi-ethnic society.

Higher Education Deputy Minister Idris Haron said it would also
create an environment not conducive for university students to study and
learn.

"The introduction of the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971
(AUKU) had prevented students from being influenced by political parties," he
said in reply to a question by Khairy Jamaluddin, the National Front (Barisan
Nasional-BN) member of Parliament on whether students would be allowed freedom
to indulge in politic like Malaysian students overseas.

Idris said the ban on politic did not mean that students were deprived from
learning about politic as universities had offered Political Science courses and
practised democracy via campus elections.

"It is not true that our students are banned from politic. We had been
holding campus elections for a long time."


He added the ministry had undergone a long process to formulate the Act and
would be amending 69 of the 119 Articles or about 60 percent.

It also studied a report and proposal by the Malaysian Human Rights
Commission (Suhakam) which feared that the amendments would stifle efforts to
produce young political leaders.

Idris said the amendments stressed on three main aspects; university
administration, welfare and rights of university employees and the rights of
university students.

"The ministry is confident that the amendments proposed will put Malaysia
on the right track towards becoming an excellence centre for higher education at
regional and international level," he added.