KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 11 – Umno Youth Chief Khairy Jamaluddin today bluntly described the Cabinet’s decision to disallow local university students from joining political parties as “gutless and indicates outdated thinking”.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Khaled Nordin said the Cabinet today decided not to lift a prohibition on local university students although it had support from Deputy Education Minister Saifuddin Abdullah. State news agency Bernama issued a note-to-editor at 6.30pm saying the ministry is asking the media not to pubiish the Cabinet decision.
“Cabinet decision not allowing university students to be involved in political parties is gutless & indicates outdated thinking,” Khairy (picture) said in a post on his Twitter microblogging account today.
He subsequently posted two other tweets: “Here’s a hint for the Cabinet: You want the youth vote, start by trusting them”.
“Just b/c student’s anti-establishment doesn’t mean mind’s made up. Example: anti-est Oxford student mid 90s. Now Ketua Pemuda Umno. How?”
The Rembau MP had called for the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 (UUCA) to be amended to allow students of institutions higher education and matriculation colleges to be members of or associate with any political parties.
MCA Youth Chief Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong also supported the call earlier this month to have the act amended.
However, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said yesterday the prohibition will not be amended. He added that students can still discuss political matters in their classes.
Section 15 (1) and 15 (3) of the UUCA states:
(1) No person, while he is a student of the University, shall be a member of, or shall in any manner associate with, any society, political party, trade union or any other organisation, body or group of persons whatsoever, whether or not it is established under any law, whether it is in the University or outside the University, and whether it is in Malaysia or outside Malaysia except as may be provided by or under the Constitution, or except as may be approved in advance in writing by the Vice-Chancellor.
(3) No person, while he is a student of the University, shall express or do anything which may be construed as expressing support, sympathy or opposition to any political party or trade union or as expressing support or sympathy with any unlawful organisation, body or group of persons.
The law was amended on December 2008 and allowed university students to become members of out-of-campus associations. However, they were still banned from affiliating themselves with any political parties.
Khairy had welcomed the amendment back then but joined the opposition in urging the government to allow the political involvement of university students.
Earlier this year, four University Kebangsaan Malaysia students were charged under the UUCA for their alleged involvement in the Hulu Selangor by-election.
Critics have questioned the reason for the prohibition since Umno has its very own “Umno Club” in London, France and even South Korea which allows Malaysian students in those countries to be involved in politics.
Section 6 (2) of the constitution of “Kelab Luar Negara Umno” states that all the members have the rights to express themselves, vote, choose, to be chosen and to be elected for any position in the club.
They have also mocked the idea of students aged 21 years being able to cast their votes, exercising their rights as mature Malaysian adults but banned from getting themselves involved in political parties.
