Tomorrow, a young woman at Universiti Sains Malaysia will face one of her worst nightmares - expulsion from the university where she had entered with such hope and pride three years ago.

Whether the threat is carried out or not depends on what she has to say to a hearing chaired by USM's deputy vice-chancellor for student affairs and development, Assoc Prof Jamaluddin Mohaiadin.

If she can explain to the panel's 'satisfaction' why she, a 22-year-old student of legal voting age, had been campaigning in the 2004 general election in March as alleged, then she might be spared any punitive action from the university.

Somehow, I doubt that Soh Sook Hwa, the young woman who is being summoned to face the USM authorities tomorrow, will be easily let off the hook. Over the past years, the USM Student Affairs Department has been clamping down on freedom of expression, association and thought involving anti-ISA campaigns to involvement in political elections.

In all likelihood, Sook Hwa will be grilled and be made to feel she has done something wrong.

We think nothing of bringing along our young children when campaigning for the candidates of our choice during elections. We expose them to the political process of how the government is formed.

Yet a grown woman, of legal voting age, cannot openly support and campaign for whom she believes will do a good job representing the people, which includes herself!

If this is how we 'groom' the next generation of leaders in Malaysia, imagine the state of the country to come. It's bad enough that our education system does not promote intellectual thinking and growth with university-level students being treated worse than kindergarden kids.

The next time you hear of apathetic youths, unwed young mums (and don't forget the rascally unwed dads) and youths with a host of 'social ills', remember that they were probably treated like zombies and discouraged from having convictions about anything. We reap what we sow.

As a former USM student, I was really proud of USM's record as regards to student activism. We were free to explore and interpret the world around us. I believe I have benefitted greatly from being a USM student and I continue to hope that my alma mater will encourage young minds to grow and mature for the sake of their future and the country's as well.

Please don't treat them like mindless robots incapable of independent thought. Groom them right so that they will be able to confidently assume the mantle of leadership when their turn comes.

There's an appeal letter for Sook Hwa being circulated via email. It's too late to sign and send it in now. We can only hope that things will turn out okay for her.

But even if fate chooses to be kind to another student, it is time to abolish the repressive Universities and University Colleges Act so that no student should ever have to face punishment for acting on the courage of his or her convictions, especially in the democratic process, no less.