INSTITUTIONS of higher learning everywhere are also a place where future leaders are honed and budding politicians first cut their teeth in the world of politics.

But Malaysia is one of the rare places where campus politics is dampened instead of nurtured because of the limitations placed on them by the Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA).

So, what about campus politics then? Is it a microcosm of national politics or does it have its own identity?

“If you ask me, I feel like this is a mini version of Malaysian politics,” said Hazwan Syafiq of Pengerak Mahasiswa, the only pro-establishment student movement at Universiti Malaya.

Since the setting up of UM in 1905 (it has its roots in Singapore as the King Edward VII College of Medicine), campus politics has always been split into two factions – one side supporting university policies and the other against.

Although different from the Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan that we know today, the two student factions share similarities with national politics, with their own version of a fragmented opposition.

“You see, our politics it is the same with Malaysia’s politics whereby there are disputes within the opposition.

“Looking at the anti-establishment leaders, they have left their original movement and created different names from the original movement,” Hazwan told The Malaysian Insight.

UM’s anti-establishment faction was originally known as Pro-Mahasiswa (Pro M) but has since split into four different student movements. A separate anti-establishment faction was also introduced last year.

As fragmented as they are, Hazwan said the goals of all the student movements is to focus on students’ wellbeing.

“Take Pengerak Mahasiswa, for example. Our agenda is that we want to be a partner of the university, it is true that we support the university, but that doesn’t mean we need to follow everything they say.

“Whatever policies the university introduces that we don’t agree on, we will voice out via the proper channels and not through demonstrations and radical ways.

“We believe in negotiation and tolerance. We firmly believe that every issue and problem can be discussed and solved.”

Pengerak has named 38 candidates to contest in UM’s elections which begin today. A full parliament has 40 representatives and a majority of 21 is required to win it over. UM’s student council also has its own “cabinet” – the Student Representative Council (MPP).

The opposition

Kon Hua En, president of UM Association of New Youth (UMANY), said politics in the university is as “dirty” as that in the real world.

“This is particularly so for students who do not agree with the government,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

Kon said these students are barred from participating in the elections or taking any post in any society for the entire duration of their studies.

“UMANY is one of the anti-establishment student movement bodies. We oversee the government of the day, and criticise them because it is their policies that affect university students,” he said.

“We act as an independent body where we oversee the government and opposition parties, like PH.

“But the reason we focus on the government is because it directly affects the university students via their policies. If the opposition becomes the government, we will also do the same thing.”

These elections, UMANY has teamed up with other student movements to contest 28 council seats.

Undemocratic politics

Hisommudin Bakar, a former student activist, said UM’s elections do not reflect true democracy at all.

“Firstly, the UM campus elections cannot represent the elections outside fully, because the journey of the elections inside is not a proper simulation of democracy.

“For example, the naming of the candidates… it is a system that does not allow the candidates to show which party they are from.

“Their party is more of a student movement. When you register, you are just a candidate. It is very general. It is not a party-based candidate.

“When the UM administration knows that you are from any proper party, you will be disqualified by the campus election rules,” said Hisommudin, who is now the director of a research firm Ilham Centre.

UM’s elections are currently managed by the Student Affairs (HEP) body which decides anything from candidacy in the elections to the membership of the MPP.

“The duration of the UM elections is unreasonable. It is one day for nominations and two days for campaigning, with one more for polling. It’s not enough time for the candidates to spell out their policies,” Hisommudin told The Malaysian Insight.

University elections nationwide have changed for the worse as they do not reflect true democracy for the students of Malaysia, he said.

“The journey of election in campus is supposed to give a democratic feel as to what they are to expect outside when they graduate. But this is not the case for universities nationwide.

“So, the journey is only to make an event in the campus diary for the selection of the MPP.

“It is doing for the sake of doing, and it does not resemble democracy outside.”

Anis Syafiqah, a UM student activist, said the university’s politics has been contaminated by outside politics.

“Take Prime Minister Najib Razak’s announcement recently that if Pengerak were to win, it shows that they understand BN.

“This indirectly gives mileage to them,” she said.

She added that the involvement of the student affairs body and the presence of the UUCA has hampered the growth of democracy in UM.

“We have to raise awareness as UM politics is not democratic. I see it as an authoritarian state.

“On paper, it is democratic but in reality, it is not.”

For better or worse, the state of UM politics is a sad reflection of national politics. – September 28, 2017.