Tuesday, July 25, 2006

USM probes illegel students group

oleh: Regina William and Husna Yusop (The Sun)
sumber: Malaysia Today Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) is investigating the activities of the unregistered Students Progressive Front (SPF) within the university.

USM's student affairs unit deputy vice-chancellor Datuk Associate Prof Jamaludin Mohaidin said today (July 24, 2006) the SPF has distributed pamphlets among students and made accusations and allegations against the university administration.

He also said the university will not allow an unregistered body like the SPF to hold gatherings or recruitment drives, adding that some SPF leaders had already graduated.

Jamaludin was asked to comment on claims made by the SPF that a gathering organised by it on July 13, 2006, at the lake grounds within the university for new students were stopped by security personnel.

He said SPF members had spread a blatant lie that the situation in USM was similar to that of Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) where a group of UPM SPF students were allegedly mobbed by a larger group led by a student council leader on July 17, 2006, within the campus grounds.

SPF coordinator Foo Chew Shiang told theSun the gathering was organised to welcome new USM students, and to brief them on campus life.

"The security department surrounded the entire lake area where we wanted to hold the function and refused to allow anyone to go in. We have lodged a report with the security department and also the students affairs unit on the incident."

In Petaling Jaya, UPM vice-chancellor Prof Dr Nik Mustapha R. Abdullah said the inquiry into the July 17 mob incident is expected to be completed in less than a month.

He said he did not give the five-member committee a specific time-frame but has told them he wants a report as soon as possible.

"We cannot wait a month. But this is a thorough investigation. We will be fair and transparent in dealing with this," he told theSun today.

In a statement on Sunday (July 23, 2006), Nik Mustapha said the five-member committee, headed by ethic course lecturer Prof Dr Abdul Rahman Md Aroff, had its first meeting on Saturday (July 22, 2006). Abdul Rahman has declined to discuss the committee's activities.

To identify those involved in the incident, the committee is likely to use a videoclip of the incident that was taken by an undergraduate, that is widely circulated on the Internet.

In the case of Universiti Malaya (UM), its deputy vice-chancellor (student affairs and alumni) Datuk Dr Mohd Razali Agus said it has always been a practice that during the orientation week, senior students are barred from entering the campus except those asked to assist.

Therefore, he asked who were the three individuals said to be UM Association of New Youth (UMANY) members reportedly bullied after helping new students at the 12th residential college early this month.

"UMANY is not a registered body in UM. So, first its existence is illegal. Second, it is not allowed to distribute any brochures, which they were doing at that time. And third, they refused to leave the campus when instructed," he added.

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